


Holiday Tropes

by SmoakingGreenArrow



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Olicity Holiday Challenge 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21659089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoakingGreenArrow/pseuds/SmoakingGreenArrow
Summary: Every chapter is a glimpse into winters with the Smoak-Queen family. Prompts taken from @olicitytropes "Holiday Challenge" on Tumblr.
Relationships: Connor Hawke/Mia Smoak, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 188
Kudos: 331





	1. One More Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Home for the Holidays
> 
> It’s been five years since Oliver left with the Monitor. William comes home on his first semester break from college to stay with Felicity and Mia at the cabin. A lot has changed for the Smoak-Queen family, and they’re in for an even bigger surprise.

Felicity looked in at William from her place in the doorway, watching as he tugged on the bottom of his jacket. He frowned at his own appearance, toying with the top button of his shirt. And Felicity tried not to smile when he leaned in closer to the mirror, fixing his hair and standing up taller.

William noticed her a moment later, his eyes catching sight of her in the reflection, and he smiled. 

Felicity was certain that William’s smile would never stop reminding her Oliver, but she hoped that it would at least stop taking her breath away when she saw it. Her husband was never far from her mind. But for some reason, having William at the cabin; seeing that signature Queen smile, hearing him laugh just like Oliver used to, the cautious look he’d give her every time she approached the stove, it all surprised her.

It was the difference between living with Oliver’s ghost, and feeling like a part of him was still alive every time she looked at their son.

As much as it knocked the wind out of her every time, she wouldn’t trade those moments with William for anything.

“Are you sure you’re not upset with me for going out tonight?” He asked, turning to look at her.

Felicity shook her head, giving him a smile that felt genuine. “Of course not,” she answered, and she meant it. 

“It’s Christmas Eve,” William reminded her with a slight pout.

“I’m Jewish, kiddo,” she rolled her eyes, chuckling as he bit his lip. “Christmas isn’t exactly a reason for you to sit at home with me and your sister all night. I want you to go. Have fun.” It was clear that he felt guilty, but Felicity was truly just thankful that her son had decided to spend his first semester break from college in Bloomfield, with them. 

Sighing, William came closer, stepping over the mess of clothes on the floor where it looked like his suitcase had blown up in his effort to find the right attire. “I know it’s not a big deal for you, but Christmas was always important to—” William cut himself off, glancing down at his hands while Felicity’s breath caught in her throat. 

They never really said his name. But this wasn’t the first time William stopped himself from mentioning his father. Felicity wanted them to be able to talk about Oliver, but he was a wound on her heart that had been healing for five years, and it was already starting to bleed again. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle it if the whole thing tore open.

“I remember how much he loved traditions,” William finished in a whisper. “And I just can’t stop thinking that he’d be disappointed if he knew I was bailing on you and Mia tonight…”

“You’re not bailing on us,” Felicity assured him. “You’re right, your dad...he did love traditions.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “He loved spending time with his family during the holidays. But I think he’d want you to go, too. Maybe it’s time for us to make some new traditions.”

Her words didn’t seem to do anything to change William’s mind, though. He shook his head, starting to pace as he explained, “no, no, I mean it. I think I should just stay home. That seems like the right thing to do. It’s for the best. It—it’s better if I just...stay home.”

When he finally stopped to look at her, Felicity narrowed her eyes. She’d had her suspicions before, but now she was certain that this little trip to Star City was more important to William than he first let on.

“Well,” Felicity shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning into the doorframe. “If you really don’t want to go, then just call Zach and tell him you can’t make it. I promised Mia we could go out in the backyard tonight and make snow angels. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you hung out with us.”

William frowned, his shoulders dropping. “I told Zach I’d meet him there. I, um, I think he’ll be bored to tears if he has to spend all night small talking with his dad’s business partners alone.”

Felicity smiled, expecting as much. “Then go.” She could sense that William wasn’t quite ready to let her know  _ why  _ he was so nervous about going to the party with his friend’s family...but he wanted to tell her. He was  _ close  _ to feeling comfortable enough here to tell her. And that was good enough.

“Okay,” William lifted his chin, making the decision final to her and to himself. He nodded once, “well, how do I look?”

“Handsome as ever,” Felicity complimented. Then she cocked her head to the side, “hmm…”

“Hmm?” William repeated. Looking down at himself, he pressed his palms to his chest, inspecting his clothes. “‘Hmm,’ what? What ‘hmm?’” Felicity chuckled, holding up a finger before she ducked out of his room. 

_ “Mom,” _ he groaned after her. And the new yet comfortable term brought a smile to her face, but made her heart clench in her chest at the same time.

Minutes later, Felicity returned. “Those holiday parties are always so fancy,” she explained, holding a silk tie in her hands. “This will match perfectly.”

William blinked, glancing at the red material and then back at her. His hands stayed in his pockets as Felicity held it out for him to take. “That’s dad’s tie.”

“I know,” she said, coming closer and slipping it around his shoulders for him. All the while, William remained still, letting her tie it over his neck. “I was right,” Felicity patted his chest, keeping her tone lighthearted. “It looks great on you.”

Turning to see himself in the mirror, William straightened his shoulders. Felicity couldn’t help but wonder if he saw all the similarities between himself and his father that she could see.

Judging by the look on his face, he could.

Even at eighteen, William stood taller and prouder than most men, carrying himself with the same confidence and kindness that used to shine in Oliver. Felicity’s eyes began to water with the thought, and without her permission. She stepped back from the mirror, blinking the tears away before any could fall, before William noticed. “You better get going.”

“I’m planning on being fashionably late,” her son answered, spinning around and pulling her in for a hug in the same breath. Felicity sighed, her arms wrapping around him instantly.

She hugged him tight, knowing that he’d be back later. That they still had two more weeks before he’d have to head back to school. But William would always be one of her hardest goodbyes.

He didn’t let go either, not until they were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Felicity leaned back, “I’ll get it,” she said, smoothing her hands down William’s arms.

Stepping out of William’s room, Felicity almost tripped over Mia, who darted out of her bedroom and pushed right between Felicity’s legs, racing down the hallway towards the front door. “I gots it, I gots it, I gots it!” the girl screamed at the top of her lungs.

With a sigh, Felicity followed her daughter. “Mia, slow down,” she called after the little hurricane, putting on her best ‘mom’ voice. 

When Oliver left five years ago, at first it had terrified her to live in the cabin, basically alone while she cared for Mia. The place still felt isolated and creepy at times, but Felicity knew that there were only a handful of people who would ever show up at their door, and there was only one in particular who stopped by frequently.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity plucked Mia up before she could reach the door. And then, with the toddler hooked on her hip, she opened it and immediately plastered on a smile. “Mr. Casey,” she greeted her neighbor. “Hi.”

The only person who lived within a mile of them was an ex-CIA agent. From what Diggle knew, Aaron Casey was currently in hiding after surviving a ten-year career as an undercover informant with the Ninth Circle. 

ARGUS had set him up in a cabin down the street once he was relieved of his duty. And even though they lived the last five years without an incident, it still comforted Felicity to know that should the Ninth Circle ever come for them as Emiko had promised, there was someone on their side who knew valuable details about the organization. Someone who understood how they operated.

Because of it, and all the necessary information he’d shared with her, Felicity felt somewhat indebted to the man. Or, at the very least, she felt the need to be polite to him. It wasn’t like he was a nuisance by any means, but it was also clear as the years passed that the ex-agent was growing restless. And probably a little lonely.

“Felicity...we’ve known each other for how long now?” Mr. Casey smiled kindly, and Felicity knew what his next words would be, since he said it every time they came in contact. “Please, you can call me Aaron.”

“Okay, Aaron,” she nodded back, knowing full well that the next time he showed up at her door, he’d be back to Mr. Casey.

He held up a box in his hand, giving it a small shake. “These are for you.” Then he turned his smile to Mia, “and for you,” he said, scrunching his nose at her and making her giggle as she hid her face in Felicity’s neck.

Felicity took the box, looking through the clear cover to see an assortment of decorated cookies. She raised an eyebrow at the intimidating, Goliath-looking man. “ _ You _ bake cookies?” She winced, not meaning for it to come out as if the idea was ridiculous, but she couldn’t exactly picture the guy in an apron while he frosted the little snowflake-shaped treats in her hand. 

Aaron laughed while Felicity made an apologetic face. Thankfully, it seemed he had enough confidence not get offended by her disbelief. “Yeah,” he shrugged, “I’ve discovered plenty of hobbies out here.” He pushed his hands into his pockets, clearing his throat. “I mean, manly stuff, too. Fishing, hunting, carpentry...but yes...I guess I find baking to be the most relaxing.”

Felicity chuckled, “well, these look delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Aaron answered sincerely. “I’m a pretty good cook, too...maybe I could make you dinner sometime?”

She blinked in shock, taken aback by the casual mention of something that sounded very much like a date. 

At least, Felicity could only assume that was his intention, considering all the flirting Aaron Casey had done in the past five years. But he never seemed to build up the courage to ask her out. Felicity figured that he never would, which made his question even more surprising.

And the silence between them had lasted way too long.

Felicity stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth open. She didn’t even want to know how ridiculous she looked. And her neighbor looked back at her with a similar expression, scratching at the back of his neck nervously, as if he had too much pride to backtrack but not enough courage to ask again.

“Does you make mac n’ cheese?” It was Mia who finally broke the awkward silence. They looked away from each other and at the toddler in Felicity’s arms.

Aaron laughed once, a puff of breath cutting through the chilly air. “I make  _ really good  _ mac n’ cheese. My mom has a secret recipe that she shared with me, and it’s the best,” he answered, giving Mia a conspiratorial wink. “Maybe if it’s okay with your mom...you can both come over for dinner and I’ll make it for you.”

Knowing that Mia loved macaroni and cheese more than almost anything, Felicity was surprised that her daughter didn’t squeal in excitement and accept the invitation on the spot. 

But also knowing that Mia was Oliver Queen’s daughter, Felicity wasn’t surprised that the girl kept her guard up, either. Mia watched Aaron with narrow, cautious eyes. “We think about it,” she answered neutrally. “Is maybe.”

Aaron grinned at Mia, raising his hands and letting the topic go. “Well, enjoy the cookies. I hope you both have a lovely Christmas. I’ll be around if you need anything, Felicity.”

Feeling a little bad for not giving him an answer, and for not even inviting him inside from the cold, Felicity smiled back. “Thank you. Happy holidays.”

He waved, taking a step back. “Have a nice night.”

“You too, Aaron…”

For a moment, she wondered if he’d be spending the holiday alone, and it almost made her stop him as he turned and stepped off her porch. But inviting him to stay wasn’t something that Felicity wanted, even if she did pity his loneliness. Even if she did  _ feel  _ it.

Just the idea of spending time with a man like Aaron Casey; who was probably attractive by  _ everyone’s  _ standard, who clearly had some kind of attraction to her, and letting it all happen on a snowy night where lines between loneliness and romance might be easy to blur, made Felicity’s stomach turn. 

“Momma,” Mia pulled her from her thoughts. “Cold!” Felicity sucked in a sharp breath, quickly closing the door, both physically and metaphorically, on Aaron’s retreating back. As she put her daughter back on the ground, she noticed William out of the corner of her eye, coat on and car keys in hand.

“Hey, buddy,” she set the cookies on the counter, turning towards him. “You ready to go? The tank should be full but let me give you some cash in case you need to stop for gas on the way home.” She glanced over her shoulder, searching for her purse.

William ignored her, pointing to the box of cookies. “What’s that?”

“Cookies,” Felicity answered with a shrug, noticing her purse on the couch in the next room and going after it. “You want one?”

Her son followed behind, “cookies from who?”

“The neighbor,” she chuckled, keeping her back to him as she dug through her mess of receipts and gummy wrappers in search of a $20. 

“The mountain-man down the street with the beard and the muscles who looks like he owns every flannel shirt available from here to Star City?”

“Ah-ha!” Felicity exclaimed, pulling out the money she knew she had. She spun around, ready to pass it to William. But instead she ran right into him, since he was hovering over her shoulder. Felicity glared up at her son, leveling him with her best mom-look. Apparently, it worked better on Mia.

William just raised an eyebrow in challenge. “ _ That _ neighbor?”

“I guess, Will. He’s the only neighbor we have, so yeah, the cookies are from the mountain-man with the flannels or whatever you just said. Now here.” She waved the $20 in front of William’s face until he took it.

But her son pocketed the bill with a quick ‘thank you’ and narrowed eyes. Unwilling to change the subject. “And did I just hear our mountain-man neighbor ask you to have dinner with him?”

Now, it was Felicity’s turn to glare. “How did you hear all of that, if you didn’t even know who was at the door?”

Keeping his cool, William shrugged. “Did you say yes?”

“No.”

“Why not, mom?” William sighed, exasperated. “He’s nice. I’ve noticed that you don’t really hang out with anyone around town. You’re alone out here...Mia is practically your best friend—”

“What’s wrong with that?” Felicity frowned.

“She’s five!” William threw his arms out to the side, defeated. “I’m just saying…I’m going back to school soon and I—I’m worried about you. It’s been five years since—”

“William.”

“I just want you to be happy,” he answered quietly. “And I really thought you’d say yes when I told Aaron that he should ask you out. Poor guy is probably pretty embarrassed now.”

“Wait,” Felicity crossed her arms, looking up at her son who had unfairly grown a whole foot taller than her in the last few years. “You  _ told  _ Mr. Casey to ask me out?”

William held his hands up in surrender, “I could tell that he wanted to ask! I was just trying to give him a nudge in the right direction! Or...apparently the wrong one.”

Felicity let out a deep breath, closing her eyes and scrubbing her hand over her forehead. “Will, listen...I don’t need you to play matchmaker between me and Mr. Casey. I like things the way they are.”

William was quiet for a minute, and Felicity opened her eyes to look at him. “No,” her son shook his head. “You stay in this cabin and it’s like—it’s like you’re waiting for  _ him  _ to come back, mom. To walk through that door at any minute. But he’s been gone for five years. And I think he would want you to move on. He would want you to find someone who can make you happy like he made you happy.”

“Not possible,” Felicity shot back instantly. She held her breath in the silence that followed, not wanting to admit that William’s words, the thought of  _ moving on  _ from her husband, even after five years, made her feel like she was going to be sick.

“Look,” William sighed. “I just thought that with it being the holidays, and you being alone tonight...that you wouldn’t mind some company from the hot neighbor.” 

She opened her mouth to remind him that she and Mia had movie-watching and snow-angel-making plans, but he cut her off, “company that doesn’t involve conversations about unicorns or debating bedtime.” 

“Honey, I appreciate what you’re trying to do—”

“Ah, ah,” William interrupted, “no lectures until tomorrow, please?”

Felicity gave him a look, shaking her head at his antics. “Who’s the parent here?”

“You are,” he grinned. “But I have to go and I think you should at least take the night to think about Mr. Casey’s offer before you lecture me about meddling in your love life.”

“I don’t have a  _ love life _ ,” she countered, raising her chin as if she’d proven a point, but William just cocked his head to the side, pinning her with solid stare.

“I know. That’s the point.”

With a huff, Felicity grabbed William’s arm, starting to lead him towards the door. He let her drag him through the kitchen and to the front door before he pulled his arm back. “Mom,” William said gently, turning her around until she was looking up at him. “I’m sorry if all of that...made you uncomfortable or upset you.”

And she couldn’t help but smile at his sincerity. “I’m not upset. You were just trying to help. You’ve always been sweet like that, William. It’s just—I’m okay with how my life is right now. If that changes, I—I’ll move on. When I’m ready.”

Although Felicity knew in her heart that she would never be ready. Not when she’d never be able to say goodbye and close the door on the love of her life. Not when she knew that the only man she wanted to be with was out there...no matter how untouchable  _ out there  _ was. 

After William left, and after eating a dinner that may or may not have included a couple of Aaron’s cookies as appetizers, Mia was bouncing around the house in search of her winter clothes. They bundled up tight, and just after the sun went down, Felicity took her out into the backyard as promised.

Outside, she played in the snow with Mia, letting the little girl run and slide through the perfectly fluffy substance until she’d exhausted herself. And then when Mia crashed onto the ground beside her, Felicity taught her how to make a snow angel, listening to her little giggles the whole time, getting up to observe the shape and then plopping down in a new spot to make another.

Felicity followed her daughter around the yard as she covered it in Mia-sized snow angels, loving how much joy it was bringing her. The cold didn’t seem to bother her, and Mia squealed excitedly when it started to snow. Felicity shook her head, watching as Mia held her hand out to catch the snowflakes on her mitten before giving up on that and sticking her tongue out towards the sky instead.

Smiling, Felicity remembered what she’d said to William about making new traditions. And she thought that Christmas Eve snow angels seemed like a wonderful place to start. She could imagine making a habit of taking Mia outside for this in the years to come, for as long as Mia would let her. 

When Felicity noticed her daughter’s nose getting red, she scooped her up in her arms. Almost instantly, Mia was wiggling to get back down. “No, momma,” she squirmed, “I has more angles to make.”

“Baby, you’re ice cold!” Felicity fussed, pressing her cheek against Mia’s. When the girl slipped free and dropped gracefully to the ground, Felicity sighed. “Come inside and I’ll make you hot chocolate,” she sang, resorting to bribery before her daughter froze to death.

As Mia ran away, Felicity’s words stopped her. She turned slowly, “‘mallows?” 

Felicity nodded, “yes, I’ll put marshmallows in...but only if you’re inside the house in two minutes.”

Mia pulled her lips to the side, considering the deal. Then she grinned, “two minutes is ‘nuf time for more angles, momma.”

She rolled her eyes, always impressed yet irritated by her daughter’s debate skills. “ _ One _ more angel.”

With a yelp, Mia quickly turned back to the yard, hurrying around as she looked for the spot she wanted to make her last snow angel. Once she found it, Felicity couldn’t help but laugh at the way Mia launched herself into the snow, rolling on her back and kicking her arms and legs out wildly. Then she jumped up to inspect it, nodding proudly at her work, and ran back to Felicity.

“Come on, little snow bunny,” Felicity chuckled, adjusting Mia’s hat on her head. “Time to go inside.”

By the time they’d had their hot chocolate, and cleaned up most of the toys she’d left scattered around the house, Mia was ready for a bath and pajamas. Well, more than ready, since she struggled to keep her eyes open while Felicity washed her hair.

Accepting the silence from her usually talkative girl, Felicity finished up quickly before wrapping her in a towel and carrying her to her bedroom. 

Sitting back against Mia’s bed, Felicity watched while her daughter puttered around her room; putting on her pajamas, finding her favorite blanket and a book. Then she shuffled over to Felicity, blinking tiredly, and climbed into bed beside her.

She was so damn cute, Felicity couldn’t help but squeeze her close, kissing her forehead. Mia snuggled against Felicity’s side, getting comfortable under the covers as she dropped the book gently in her lap.

Looking down at the page, Felicity waited until Mia was settled. “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas,” Felicity read the cover slowly, feeling Mia sink deeper under her arm, her head on Felicity’s chest.

Halfway through the story, Felicity could see that Mia’s eyes were shut, but she knew that she wasn’t asleep yet. Lowering her voice, Felicity read the page quieter and slower, knowing from experience that if she stopped reading now, Mia’s eyes would snap open and she’d demand that Felicity continue.

Her daughter’s breath began to even out as Felicity read, her grip on the stuffed animal in her arms loosening. And when she finally heard Mia’s tiny, familiar snores, Felicity closed the book silently.

Knowing that Mia obtained Oliver’s light sleeping habits, Felicity had to work very hard, just like every night, not to wake the girl up as she slowly untangled herself from the blankets and arms wrapped around her. Then she had to tiptoe all the way out of the room and close the door as quietly as possible.

It was a difficult challenge. And sometimes she lost. Sometimes, Felicity would get stuck with a wide-awake toddler who would catch her on her way out of the room and bolt out of bed with energy as if she’d been sleeping for ten hours rather than ten minutes.

But Felicity was feeling particularly lucky tonight.

Tonight, she’d make it across the floor of toys and obstacles, escaping without a problem. And then she could enjoy a special, alcoholic hot chocolate, or maybe some wine while she waited up for William. And who was she kidding? She’d definitely be eating at least one more of Mr. Casey’s cookies before she went to bed.

Moving across the room, Felicity held her breath, praying not to hear that sleepy little “momma, where you go?” from behind her.

But it wasn’t Mia’s voice that interrupted her escape.

All at once, the security alarms began to sound. Loud and ringing like a fire drill. Felicity gasped, dropping the book she still held in her hand. Then she whipped around, seeing that the noise has obviously woken Mia up, and she met her daughter’s wide gaze.

They’d been living at the cabin for five years and the security system had never malfunctioned. Felicity spun around again at the sound of Mia’s door swinging shut; thankful that the technology she’d installed was capable of slamming and locking it automatically when the alarm went off. 

“Momma!”

Felicity glanced back at her daughter, holding up a hand to stop her from getting out of bed. “It’s okay,” she soothed over the alarm, hoping that she was telling the truth. 

“Intruder.” The robotic voice of the security system flooded the room, contradicting Felicity and carrying the warning throughout the house. “Intruder. Perimeter breached.” 

“Mia, honey,” she knelt down next to the bed, pulling her daughter in for a hug. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I need to go see what happened. I want you to stay here, okay? Hide under your bed like you do when you and Will play hide and seek. And don’t come out until I come back.”

Mia’s grip on Felicity’s hand tightened, her eyes growing even wider. “No leave, momma.”

“I’ll be right back,” she said, touching Mia’s cheek. “I promise, baby, I’ll always—” she stopped, realizing what she’d planned to say. And she had every intention of keeping the promise, just as much as Oliver once had. “I will  _ always  _ come back for you.”

Mia nodded, her curly hair bouncing as she grabbed her stuffed sloth off her pillow and then hurried to hide under her bed.

Everything in the house was dimmed as Felicity stepped into the hallway. All of the curtains were all pulled shut, and the sirens screamed louder in the hall than in Mia’s room. She promptly shut her daughter’s door before the noise scared her even more. And then she made her way through the house. 

The lights outside were flashing, warding off whoever had crossed the invisible boundary that circled her property. The subtle bulletproof windows and doors had all locked automatically just like Mia’s door.

Without Oliver around, Felicity had protected her family the only way she knew how. She’d never intended to take any chances with their safety. And she could only rely on herself to make sure nothing happened to them. So, in the event of an emergency, this cabin became a fortress.

She also wasn’t naive enough to believe that the alarms had been triggered by accident, and Felicity trusted her skills enough to know that it wasn’t an error. But there was nothing she could do besides pray that the system had done its job; keep her family safe inside and keep whoever had decided to threatened them  _ out. _

Walking slowly, Felicity made her way into the main room, peeking through the curtain to see if she could find the problem. She stopped in the kitchen, standing in the center of the room with her heart in her throat, her eyes darting to every corner of the house that she could see.

“Intruder,” the voice continued overhead, stating it as a matter of fact, rather than Felicity’s worst nightmare.

“Intruder. Perimeter breached,” she warned again, so eerily calm about it.

Sucking in a deep breath, Felicity focused, taking in every inch of her surroundings. Her eyes were continuously drawn to Mia’s door, making sure that it remained shut tight.

“Intruder,” the voice sounded again, ringing in Felicity’s ear.

“Intruder. Perimeter breached.”

Lifting an unsteady hand, Felicity reached for the first weapon she could think to grab. 

A knife off the counter.

“Intruder.”

“Intruder. Perimeter breached.”

And despite everything, Felicity couldn’t help but feel a chilling sense of déjà vu. She was standing in the same spot she’d been five years ago, grabbing a knife the same way Oliver had that night when the monitor came to collect him.

Except this time, she was the only one there to protect Mia.

“Intruder.”

“Intruder. Perimeter breached.”

Felicity stepped closer to the door, instinct or trauma leading her to the same reality she’d been forced to accept before. 

What if it was the Monitor again? 

It was impossible to forget that the god-like being had said Mia was important to the world. A comment that tended to keep a mother up at night. Worrying. 

What if he was coming back for her?

With the knife clutched in her shaking fist, Felicity straightened her shoulders and took another step towards the door. Her eyes watered, making the Christmas lights strung up around the entry begin to blur. 

Nightmare or not, she had to do everything she could to stop it.

The Monitor had taken Oliver away from her. She  _ couldn’t _ let history repeat itself. She couldn’t lose Mia, too.

“Intruder.”

“Intruder. Perimeter breached.”

Holding the knife just as Dig had taught her, Felicity angled the blade at the door, ready to throw. God-like being or not, she refused to do this again, not without putting up a fight this time.

“Intruder.”

“Intruder. Perim—”

With the same terrifying abruptness that the mess began, the sirens stopped blaring. The robotic voice stopped signaling its warning. The flashing lights subsided. The house returned to its domestic peace as quickly as it had exploded, almost like the whole thing never happened.

And the silence that filled the space was deafening.

“What the frack,” Felicity whispered to herself, whipping around in every direction. Her heart sank with the assumption that the technology had failed her. Whoever had tripped the system must have been about to hack it. Whoever was outside must have found their way in.

Just as she started to enter full panic mode, Felicity heard the tiny, familiar click of the front door unlocking that she’d grown used to the last month or so, after teaching William how to use the system so he could come and go from the house as he pleased.

Felicity froze, gripping the knife in her hand so tightly that it hurt, but she didn’t notice. 

For a brief moment, she considered that maybe it was her son. Maybe he’d made a mistake with the security pad trying to get in, or maybe he’d brought his friend over and the facial recognition at the front gate had reacted to the stranger accordingly.

It seemed logical enough. 

Except for the fact that the door was unlocked, and William still wasn’t coming in. And she wasn’t moving, either.

Slowly, Felicity stepped back from the door. Her mind raced with a plan. Get Mia, get out of the house, and run. Even if she had to apologize to William for overreacting later, it’d be better than giving this a chance to become dangerous. All she had to do was grab Mia and make it down the street to Aaron Casey’s house. It was the only place they could go, and they’d be safe there.

Felicity’s body was in fast agreement with her head’s plan, her feet already turning to make a break for Mia’s room. 

But then the security system’s voice stopped her in her tracks with words she’d never thought she’d hear again. Words she never even let herself dream about hearing again.

“Oliver Queen entering the Smoak residence.”

The door unlatched on its own a moment later, half open like a welcome invitation for the only person Felicity had ever wanted to see walk through that door.

And as he slowly pushed the heavy, creaking door open, Felicity stopped breathing. 

Her eyes burned, filling with tears the moment she saw him, but she couldn’t even bring herself to blink. Part of her couldn’t believe that he was real, yet another part of her already knew it was true. And he stood there in the doorway, his hand clutching the frame, the other clenched in a fist, as if he was trying to stop himself from running to her.

“Felicity,”

He said her name in that special tone he always had; from strangers to husband and wife, the way Oliver Queen whispered her name had somehow always felt  _ right. _

But he didn’t take another step.

Cocking her head to the side, Felicity analyzed him. She’d seen enough insanity in her lifetime to know that things like doppelgängers, metahumans, and aliens were real. But she’d also seen magic.

And this felt much more like magic.

Her heart ached for him, more desperate to feel him when he was standing right in front of her than in the five years he’d been gone. All she wanted was to ignore any doubts and wrap her arms around Oliver. To welcome him back as quickly as he’d left. To finally let herself  _ relax _ ...because her husband was home.

“Oliver…”

His eyes were wet with tears, but he smiled as he heard her voice, taking a single step forward, crossing the threshold of the cabin. And Felicity had always told herself that if Oliver returned, she’d make damn sure that it was for good.

Almost as if he could hear every thought that ran through her brain, Oliver took another careful step forward. 

He raised his hands innocently, never taking his eyes off of her. “It’s me,” Oliver spoke again, flooding her with the strangest sense of nostalgia and discomfort. His voice was so familiar, nearly identical to the way he sounded whenever she’d dream of him. But it was foreign, too. Different after so many years of not hearing him. “Baby, I’m here.” He was trying to convince her, expecting her to be doubtful and seeing the cautious look in her eye.

Or maybe it was the knife still clutched in her hand that made him hesitate.

Quickly, she tossed the knife in the sink without allowing herself another moment to consider things like aliens and metahumans and doppelgängers. As she let go of the weapon, Oliver relaxed slightly, understanding that she knew he was telling the truth.

His hair was longer, his face a bit more hollow than she remembered, and it was clear that the years apart had affected him the same way it had affected her. 

Felicity had always felt like something had broken inside of her when Oliver left. Like he’d taken a piece of her with him. And it was so easy to recognize the same fracture in him.

Her defense began to flicker. 

Her uncertainty wavered with each step closer that he took. 

Her doubts were gone by the time he reached her. 

With Oliver standing in front of her, Felicity knew that he was the man she married. No magic and no tricks, although she did have the urge to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. His gentle, comforting blue eyes that stared down at her were mesmerizing, making her head feel light. The wave of dizziness reminded Felicity to breathe, and she swore she saw Oliver’s lips twitch with the smallest of smiles as she sucked in a deep pull of air. 

Oliver stepped even closer, his body almost pressing against hers. “I’m home,” he whispered again, his voice cracking.

“How—” she choked, blinking rapidly. “You’re—You’re supposed to be...”

“I know,” he answered gently, taking her face between his hands.

Felicity gaped at him, unable to stop her own tears when his face was covered in them, taking her right back to the moment they’d been forced to say goodbye five years ago. “How are you here?”

“The monitor said we were done,” Oliver breathed, his face tipping closer as his thumbs brushed over her cheeks. “Universe is safe, earths are intact, a lot of other things that I…” his eyes roamed her face, his pupils wide as he looked at her in disbelief. “I can explain later.”

She stared up at him, holding on to her final, weak resolve. “You’re really done? For good?”

Oliver nodded seriously, letting out a sigh as he continued to study her face, his eyes following the movement of his fingers on her skin. Almost like he was trying to convince himself that this wasn’t a dream, too. 

“I’m  _ home _ .” 

Felicity leaned against him, pressing her forehead to his as she let his words sink into her head and her heart. “I hope I’m not too late,” he finished, the tip of his nose grazing hers.

“You could never be too late,” Felicity answered. “I thought I was going to have to wait a very long time to see you again.”

“Me too,” he whispered back. “We have a lot to talk about.”

She nodded, knowing that it was the simple truth. But she didn’t want to face that reality just yet. Felicity tightened her fists, gripping his jacket to keep him from going anywhere. 

Oliver leaned into her, burying his face in her neck while both arms wrapped around her middle. He squeezed her tight, leaving her with shallow breaths, but Felicity didn’t want it any other way.

“You’re here,” she whispered, more to herself than to him, disbelief crashing with reality as her brain took note of his familiar scent, the way he held her, how his breath grazed her skin and made her shiver. It all brought back so many memories. “You’re really home.”

Oliver groaned under his breath, his weight getting heavier as he slumped against her. And then he seemed to give up all together, falling to his knees in front of her. He stared up at Felicity, so many questions, apologies, and doubts in his eyes. Felicity took his face between her hands, and Oliver sucked in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. His head dropped, his body deflating as if it was the first real breath he’d released since he left. As if the weight of the universe was finally being lifted off of his shoulders.

Felicity stroked his cheeks with her thumbs, trying to catch her own breath as she looked down at him. Oliver’s hands splayed across the backs of her thighs, his fingers digging into the warm fleece of her pajama pants. When her thumb brushed over his lips, Oliver leaned his cheek into her palm, his eyebrows furrowing. 

He released his hold on one of her thighs, and Felicity teetered, realizing how much he’d been holding her up even though he was the one kneeling in front of her.

He reached up to catch her hand, drawing it back and away from his face. And Felicity watched while Oliver glanced down at her fingers; his jaw tight, looking like he wasn’t breathing.

But then his thumb ran over the glinting silver band that was wrapped around her finger, and he practically whimpered. 

Despite the helpless sound, Oliver’s gaze was full of passion and life when he looked back up at her. She wasn’t sure if the idea of her moving on, as William had suggested, was as haunting to him as it’d been to her, or if he’d been dreading it, or if he was simply relieved to see the ring still on her finger. But the eyes that met hers were hot with  _ something _ .

“I love you,” Oliver whispered, his voice gravelly. Nearly a growl. “Felicity, there hasn’t been a day in the last five years where I haven’t known that I love you with my entire heart. And I can’t even explain how badly I’ve wanted to be here so I could tell you that every day and—”

She’d been so distracted by his words that she hadn’t heard the tiny patter of Mia’s feet. Or maybe her toddler really could be quiet when she wanted to be, just like Nyssa had said. But suddenly, their daughter was launching herself, full force, onto Oliver’s back.

For a brief moment, where Oliver struggled to keep his balance and Felicity worked to keep them all steady, she thought that Mia was hugging him. And then her tiny voice shouted, “leave my momma alone!”

Oliver gasped, bracing both of his hands on Felicity’s legs as he tried to turn his head to look at the little girl, but all he got was a mouthful of blonde hair. “Mia!” Felicity yelped, jumping into action and trying to pry her arms from around her father’s neck. Oliver didn’t move, taking every animated blow from Mia’s knees and elbows.

Finally, Felicity was able to free him, leaving Oliver to manage the balancing on his own while she yanked their daughter off his back. She held Mia in her arms, all three of them wide-eyed and breathless. 

Mia didn’t take her eyes off of Oliver, watching him cautiously just as she did with any stranger. “Why you come here?” Mia demanded. “We no want you.”

Felicity opened her mouth, gaping at both of them as she tried to find words. And Oliver looked just as lost, his eyes shifting wildly between his girls. Felicity could see the hurt in his eyes, the sting of instant rejection from his daughter.

“Mia,” Oliver breathed her name, like he just needed to say it.

“Wait,” the little girl cocked her head to the side. “Where your red hat? You no Santa.”

Felicity glanced down at her, raising her eyebrows. “What? You thought he was—and you—Mia, no. This is...”

She’d told her daughter plenty of stories. There were pictures of Oliver around the house. But Felicity doubted that Mia recognized him with how different he looked. Why she assumed he was Santa Claus and why she thought Santa would be attacking her mom...Felicity had no idea.

Oliver didn’t come any closer, but he smiled at Mia, his eyes brimming with tears. 

And god, Felicity wanted nothing more than to thrust the little girl into his arms and watch their reunion be full of smiles and happiness. But as much as she loved Oliver and wanted to give him that, Felicity knew that Mia would need time to warm up to him. It’d taken William almost a week of living with them before Mia got used to his presence enough to speak to him. And she also knew that Oliver would understand, that he’d want Mia to feel comfortable with him.

“Honey,” Felicity tried again, swallowing her nerves. She could recognize the importance of this moment; having to formally introduce Mia to her father. And she needed to do her best not to put her foot in her mouth in the process. “This is your—”

“Dad?” 

They all turned to see William standing at the front door, frozen in the threshold with his hand still gripping the doorknob. He looked at Oliver as if he was seeing a ghost, shock written all over his face. Then he let out a sharp breath, his lips curving in a slight smile. 

Oliver blinked, raising his eyebrows as he took in William and all the changes that five years had brought. “Wi—William?”

William’s smile widened, pure joy breaking out across his face. He quickly crossed the room to reach his father, wrapping both arms around him. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

Felicity could almost see the wheels turning in Mia’s head. Their daughter watched as her brother welcomed the stranger with open arms, how excited William was to see him. It took her a moment, but Mia seemed to realize that the man wasn’t a threat, and definitely not some bizarre version of Santa Claus. 

Without a word, Mia squirmed to get down, and Felicity carefully put her back on her feet, anxious to see what she’d do. 

Walking more careful and quiet than Felicity had ever seen, her daughter crossed the room with her head held high. She slowly approached William and Oliver and yanked on William’s pant leg when she reached them, getting his attention. 

William laughed, finally looking away from his dad to lean down to pick Mia up.

Once in William’s arms, Mia shrunk against her brother, glancing shyly at Oliver who took a single step back, giving her space. But the smile he gave her was warm, looking back at her in awe. 

To Felicity’s surprise and relief, Mia smiled back. And then she reached her hand out and patted him on the chest. “Sorry my kicked you.”

Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. “You were just trying to protect your momma,” his eyes shifted to Felicity, his smile growing even more. He lifted his chin, beckoning her over with a gentle, “come here.”

Part of her wanted to stay back and watch her husband reunite with his children from the sidelines, to burn the memory in her brain forever; the three of them, standing there in the middle of the kitchen, smiling at each other. But the bigger part of her wanted, and needed, to be right there with them. 

So Felicity nodded, her feet already moving. She didn’t stop until she crashed right into her family, wrapping her arms around William and Oliver and squeezing them all together. 

Mia giggled as she found herself squished in the middle of their awkward, but completely welcome little circle. 

For the first time in a long time, it felt like she had back the pieces of her life that she’d always known she’d been missing. There was nothing left to wish for or to miss. She had it all right there. Felicity buried her face in the soft curls of Mia’s hair and closed her eyes. Her family was whole again.

Oliver was  _ home. _


	2. Perfectly Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Snowed In
> 
> After a rough holiday at home, Mia has a lot to think about. It doesn't help that she and her best friend can't see eye to eye. But Mia and Connor end up having plenty of time to figure it out when they get stuck in the middle of a storm on their way back to Central City.  
#smoaknhawke

There was something special about Star City in the winter. Maybe part of it was nostalgia or the fact that she’d always been a dreamer, but Mia felt like her home was at its best when it was illuminated in twinkling lights, bright enough to hide the scars underneath.

It was almost as if December rolled around, and everyone forgot that their mayor was a spineless coward and the Glades were getting worse with each passing day. The Christmas lights and the decorations went up, and the whole city seemed happy enough to ignore the ugliness.

And yet, Mia Smoak had a father who had saved Star City. He’d left a legacy of heroism that resonated through the streets of her home. And it _ was _her home. When she was five and her parents had moved back there, she could still remember how much she loved living in the city. How safe it felt. But without a Green Arrow to protect it, that memory began to fade. New people came and others who had seen the vigilante's affect moved away. People lost sight of everything that made Star City a home. And without anyone to keep citizens feeling safe, history was on the verge of repeating itself.

Mia sighed, looking up at the sign wrapped in tinsel that cheerily taunted their departure; “Star City: The Way Life Should Be.”

It was easy to see the diminishing, especially now that Mia was in college. Each time she came home to see her family, she could see the city growing less and less safe. And it was enough to _ royally _piss her off. To scare her. 

It was enough to inspire an idea that she knew her parents wouldn’t like. 

And in typical Mia fashion, she’d chosen the wrong time to share her thoughts, and all the wrong words to do it.

“Are you going to sulk all night?” Connor asked as they drove out of Star City, apparently choosing to give her until the exact moment they crossed the city line until he spoke. Mia picked her head up from the window she’d been leaning against, turning to give him a glare. Connor shrugged, driving with one hand on the wheel as he glanced between her and the road. “I really didn’t think it was that bad.”

“I told my dad that he failed this city. It was that bad.”

In response, Connor tried to smile, but she didn’t miss the way he winced. “Well, it’s not like those are words that he hasn’t heard before.”

“You’re not helping,” Mia frowned, crossing her arms and angling herself towards the window so she could continue moping as planned.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Connor reached over and grabbed her elbow, pulling her back before she could curl up in the passenger seat and pretend he wasn’t there. He knew that she’d brood in silence for the entire ride back to Central City if he let her. And it didn’t seem like he was going to let her. “Look, your dad knows you didn’t mean that. And I’m sure that he also knows you’re right...Star City _ does _need help…it needs to be reminded that heroes are out there, and that there are people who care about this city.”

Mia watched him out of the corner of her eye. “So...you don’t think my plan is crazy?”

“Oh,” he grinned, “I didn’t say that. I think it’s totally bonkers. But you’re on the right track, Mia.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?”

“My parents and I have been talking,” Connor shrugged. “About starting a sort of protective agency. Kind of like A.R.G.U.S but just for Star City. Maybe you could help. Maybe Oliver wouldn’t mind if me and my dad trained you a bit.”

She rolled her eyes, relaxing into the seat a little more. It helped to know that the Diggles could at least see what she could see. Sometimes, Mia wondered if _ her _parents put on blinders to avoid noticing the changes right in their own backyard. Maybe they were in denial to an extent, unable to accept that all their hard work for so many years was beginning to unravel. The city was starting to fail again.

“Our parents did everything they could to protect this place,” Mia whispered. “They made it our home. They made it safe. And now I just—I think it’s our turn. They had to have known that what they did couldn’t last forever.” She sighed, looking away from Connor. “This city needs a Green Arrow. That’s what my mom always used to say.”

“Come on, Mia…” Connor nudged her with his elbow. “You didn’t actually think your dad would give you his blessing to take up his hood and become the new Green Arrow. Even I know Oliver better than that. You must’ve known that he was going to say no.”

“Yeah...I knew he’d say no.”

“Then why did you even bother asking?” Connor gave her a quizzical look, but Mia stayed silent. She’d been so worried about finally telling her parents, she hadn’t put much thought into fooling Connor.

She never managed to fool him, anyway. He saw right through her every time. 

Mia kept her eyes on her window, focusing on the buildings as they sped away from the city lights. But she could feel Connor’s eyes on her, reading her, and it only took him a few minutes to call her out. “Your dad was only Plan A,” Connor finished, his voice flat, unimpressed. “You asked him first and he said no, so in your twisted mind, that gives you permission to go along with your next idea, which is usually worse.”

Mia huffed, irritated that her best friend knew her as well as she knew herself most of the time. 

When Mia still didn’t answer, keeping her lips sealed tight, Connor sighed. She let her hair fall over her face like a curtain that could keep her out of his analytical sight, and he grumbled her name. 

Suddenly, Connor jerked the car to the side, veering off the road.

“What are you doing!?” Mia gasped, launching forward in her seat as Connor slammed the brakes and threw the car in park.

He turned his whole body towards her, his eyes angrier than she’d been expecting. “What’s Plan B, Mia?” He demanded. “Come on, I know you. So I know that whatever you’re planning to do will be dangerous and infuriating...and probably a little bit stupid.”

“Hey!” She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but Connor leveled her with a glare. 

“Let’s hear it.”

Knowing that there was no point in arguing, that he’d nag her until she fessed up, Mia narrowed her eyes. “Fine,” she answered through her teeth, and Connor raised one eyebrow, waiting patiently. “Before my dad came back into our lives, my mom was always worried about my safety—”

“I know,” Connor interrupted, “she rigged up the cabin in Bloomfield like a weapon. I remember you telling me about the night your dad came home...how scared you were when the alarms started blaring,” his eyes softened as he looked back at her, as if he was wishing he could go back in time and protect that little five year old hiding under her covers. Or maybe that was just what Mia wanted to see in his eyes. But no. _ No. _

“Well,” she clenched her jaw, shifting her eyes away from him and all the emotions that came with it. “I also remember that my mom had a friend. This woman who would come to the cabin and teach me things; how to defend myself, how to fight. I think my mom has always assumed that I forgot about the woman... We’ve never talked about her.”

Connor’s eyebrows furrowed, “why didn’t you say anything? If you remember it...”

“Because my mom never brought it up,” she shrugged. “I think once my dad came home, she told the woman to stop coming. And she _ hoped _that I would forget about it.”

“But you didn’t,” Connor said slowly. “So...what?”

Mia looked back at him, arching an eyebrow in challenge. “It took a little bit of research...but I finally figured out who she was. Her name was Nyssa.” When Connor stared at her blankly, Mia swatted his arm. “The son of Harbinger and Spartan and he doesn’t even—” she rolled her eyes, stopping herself. “Nyssa _ al Ghul_,” Mia finished, watching as realization spread across his features.

“Your mom had an ex-leader of the League of Assassins training you? When you were _five? _”

“Yeah, I guess,” Mia shrugged. She pinched her lips together, feeling her heart pick up pace as her next words ran through her mind. And then they fell from her lips, “and now an ex-leader of the League of Assassins is going to train me. Again.”

Connor froze, his eyes widening. “Oh, no,” he shook his head, staring at her, his eyes serious. “Not a chance in hell.”

Mia huffed, hating when he acted all protective and big brother-ish. She already had one of those, and William handled his brotherly responsibilities with annoying accuracy and care. Mia wanted Connor to be on her side, not to be one more person telling her she can’t do this. 

“My father learned from Talia al Ghul,” she reminded him, looking straight ahead. “Nyssa can do the same for me.”

“Mia,” Connor said her name, his voice full of disapproval that made her wonder if she was about to get her second lecture of the night. “That’s insane.”

Her heart dropped a little, realizing that he was one more person who didn’t believe she was strong enough to carry on her father’s legacy. And it hurt. 

Maybe it was because she’d already heard it from her parents and her brother, and piling Connor’s lack of faith in her, on top of the rest, made it worse. Or maybe it was because it hurt worse to have _ him _doubting her. But Mia was suddenly blinking back tears. And she could feel Connor’s steady gaze on her face. And the last thing she needed was to cry in front of him while she was in the middle of telling him how strong she was.

“Just drive,” Mia mumbled once she felt like her voice wouldn’t shake. "I have to get back to school." She took a deep breath, staring at the snow beginning to land on the windshield. 

“Mia…” he whispered, but she shook her head. Whatever he planned on saying, Mia knew that it’d be sweet. Nice. It would probably make her cry, and she was fighting hard not to do that. Besides, it wouldn’t change what she already knew. Connor would still tell her not to go. Not to seek out Nyssa al Ghul and not to become a vigilante. He’d still say that she wasn’t ready, just like her dad did.

“Connor,” Mia closed her eyes when he didn't listen. “Let's go. We have a long drive back to Central City and it’s starting to snow. We better get going before it gets any worse.”

She’d meant it as an excuse, something to stop him from talking and get back on the road, but they had no idea how right she was. 

In about an hour, the lazy, gentle snowfall turned forceful, falling faster, sticking to the tar in front of them. And Connor gradually slowed down as the roads became slick. Another hour after that, and the snow was so heavy that it was hard to see anything ahead of them. Mia placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder, feeling how tense he was as he drove with both hands on the wheel. 

“I think you should pull over,” she advised, a chill running down her spine. 

Connor nodded, pushing forward in a crawl until he found a good spot to stop. Then he pulled over, parking the car carefully and out of the way. Connor and Mia stayed quiet for a long moment, each of them relaxing as he turned up the heat, tilting the panels to face her. 

“You okay?” Connor asked, sparing her a glance.

“I’m fine,” Mia breathed back, feeling better now that they were safely off the road. “Let’s just wait for this to pass.”

Connor pursed his lips, “we’re closer to home than we are to Central City. Maybe when the snow clears up, we should head back to your house. I can bring you back to your dorm in the morning.”

Mia sighed, her body deflating. Of course, tonight of all nights is when a freak snowstorm decides to hit. Of course, it has to happen after one of the worst holidays of her life. And of course, it has to be Connor who she gets stranded on the side of the road with.

“Okay,” Mia grumbled, agreeing semi-reluctantly. 

Connor leaned back in his seat, satisfied that she wasn’t going to argue. “So...maybe since we have the time, we should talk about that whole, you running away to get an assassin to train you...thing.”

Mia looked up at him, pretending to think about it, and then she shook her head. “Nope. I'd rather we just, you know, _not_ talking about that.”

“Mia,” Connor groaned. “Come on. You know that plan is crazy, right?”

“How?” Mia fired back, anger flaring. “It was my mom’s plan for the first five years of my life until my dad came back. If that didn’t happen, who knows what kind of fighter I could be right now. Who knows what Star City could be!”

“What if you can’t even find Nyssa?” Connor asked next. “I mean, she’s basically a ninja, there’s probably no way—”

“I already found her,” Mia raised an eyebrow. “She’s been in Nanda Parbat for nearly a decade. Rebuilding the League of Assassins.”

“And you think the place for you is straight into the lair of a _new_ League of Assassins!? One that we know nothing about?”

Mia narrowed her eyes at him, “I think they’re the only ones who can teach me. Or the only ones who _will_. My mom trusted Nyssa, so I do too.”

“That was almost fifteen years ago,” Connor pushed, his hands beginning to tighten on the steering wheel. And Mia could see that he was getting angrier the more she revealed how much she’d thought about this plan. How much she was ready to really _do _this. 

But she was getting angry too. At him and his line of patronizing questions. “Nyssa agreed to train me when I was just a baby. I guess I just have to hope that she’ll still be willing to keep that promise now.”

Connor scoffed, letting go of the steering wheel and angling his body in her direction. "She made that deal with _Felicity_...not with you. For all you know, they'll slit your throat as soon as you walk through the door." He waited in silence, his eyes hot on her face, until she finally looked up at him. He shook his head slowly, “I can’t let you go, Mia.”

His words were quiet, but firm. As if it was simple; she wouldn’t be going. As if the declaration made it _ his _decision, and made it final.

Mia’s temper flared, his words lighting a fire inside of her. “_Let _ me?” She seethed. “I don’t remember asking for your permission, Connor. I didn’t ask for my dad’s and I certainly didn’t ask for yours, so what the hell gives you the right to decide?”

Connor clenched his jaw, as if she was pissing him off as much as he was pissing her off. “Why do you always have to be so damn stubborn?” He snapped. “You know, you’re always wondering why you and Oliver butt heads so much. It’s because you’re just like him, Mia! You decide things and you don't care how anyone else feels about it. Once you have your mind set on something...everyone else be damned!”

Mia blinked in surprise, taken aback by the spite in his voice that she couldn’t ever remember hearing from him. She’d known Connor most of her life, and she knew that he had the patience of a saint. She'd rarely seen him get angry about anything other than his brother. So, to be on the receiving end of his words, well...it was hard to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

Rather than answering, Mia stayed quiet. She turned her face away from him, looking up at the snow and trying to regain her composure. The whole point of this was to prove that she could take care of herself.

Connor raising his voice at her was nothing compared to the stories she’d heard about the League of Assassins. Crying now would only make Connor think that he was right. That she wasn’t cut out for Nanda Parbat, and not meant to be a hero for the city.

“Hey,” Connor interrupted her thoughts, an apology in his tone before he said it out loud. “Listen, I’m sorry, it’s just...I’ve always looked out for you, Mia. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to do that if you’re halfway across the world. It's kind of freaking me out, okay?”

Finding her voice, Mia answered, “well, maybe I don’t need you to look out for me anymore.”

To that, Connor shrugged, forcing a smile. “I _ know _you don’t. But that’s not what I meant. Having you in Central City this year...knowing that you’re safe there because _ I _ can make sure of it, I needed that. Mia, if you go...it’s not just you that I’m worried about.”

Her eyebrows pushed together, trying to understand what he _ wasn’t _saying. “I don’t get it,” Mia replied. And she tried not to let frustration into her voice. She hated fighting with him, so if he was willing to talk about this maturely, then she was too.

After so many years of liking Connor and always feeling like her crush was one-sided, it was hard to believe that he was acting this way just because he wanted her to stay in Central City.

Mia knew that he cared about her. As a friend. Maybe even more like a little sister, much to her dismay. So there was no way that her going away to Nanda Parbat would rile him up this much. Wanting to protect her or not, Connor was acting like...like it was _ more _than that.

“You’ll be just fine without me,” Mia whispered.

All he did was stare back at her. But it was almost like his eyes were answering for him.

_ No. _

_ I won’t. _

For a split second, she was certain that she understood him, that he felt the same way for her that she did for him. But Mia had experienced plenty of moments like that with Connor, and they always ended with awkwardness and embarrassment. He’d never told her that he liked her as more than a friend, but there were some moments...when he looked at her the way that he was looking at her in _ this _moment...that she couldn’t help but wonder.

There was a side of her that wanted to be brave. Confident. To take his face between her hands, look him in the eyes and ask. _ Do you have feelings for me? _

But getting rejected had always seemed scarier than getting the answer she was hoping for.

Now though, as he stared at her with that look in his eyes, not bothering to look away this time, Mia felt the words bubbling up in her throat. If she asked, he would tell her the truth. He would always tell her the truth. Which was part of the reason she was falling for him. 

And yet, there was another side of her that didn’t want to _ have _to ask. He was either too afraid to tell her, or he didn’t feel strongly enough about her to admit it. Mia wasn’t sure if she wanted the truth...if those were the options.

“How about,” she bit her lip, shaking her head at the thoughts running wild in her brain. “How about we just don’t talk for a while.”

Or maybe she was the scared one.

Connor sighed, “we just spent two hours not talking.”

“Let’s try for two more,” Mia grumbled back.

He shook his head, but didn’t say anything else. And it didn’t take long before the silence became uncomfortable. Each second that passed made Mia feel more and more anxious. She wanted to find something to say. Anything that they could talk about that didn’t involve their parents or her desire to become a vigilante. 

Small talk about school or the weather seemed like it would only make the tension between them more obvious. Besides, it would be impossible to talk about anything besides the elephant sitting between them.

Eventually, Connor leaned over and turned the radio on. Mia relaxed, grateful for the background noise. But of course, with the night they’ve been having, even that couldn’t last. They barely made it through five minutes of mindless Christmas songs before the radio shut off...along with the heat.

And then a moment later, the car stopped running.

Mia turned to look at Connor, her eyes widening as they were left with only the sound of the wind outside.

The car got colder almost immediately. “Shit,” Connor cursed, turning the key over. And again. And a third time. He slammed his hands on the wheel, “shit!”

“What happened?” Mia asked, a chill racking her body.

“It just died,” Connor answered, trying to start the car again with no luck. “I’ll be right back,” he growled. Before she could ask, he swung the door open, letting in a freezing gust of wind and snow that blew inside, making her yelp. Connor quickly jumped out, shutting the door behind him and giving her an apologetic look as he rounded the front of the car.

Mia watched as he looked under the hood, glancing up and down the road but not seeing a single sign of help. 

They were about halfway between Star City and Central City. The drives to and from school were always enjoyable, but Mia knew that there wasn’t anything for another ten miles in either direction. It was probably the _ worst _place to be stranded...of course. Because wasn’t that just her luck?

Peering at Connor through the snow building up on the windshield, Mia waited until he gestured, and then she tried to start the car again. Judging by the sound it made in response, she guessed that they wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Another chill ran through her.

After a few minutes of poking around under the hood, Connor slammed it shut and then rushed back into the car, trying to keep as much cold air out as possible. But it didn’t seem to matter. Mia could already feel the piercing air seeping in.

As Connor settled beside her, he let out a long breath. “Does your phone have service?”

Mia bit her lip, shaking her head in shame because her mother would be incredibly disappointed in her to know… “It died back at home,” she answered quietly. “I figured I’d just charge it when I get back to school.”

Reaching into his pocket, Connor pulled out his own cell, the light from the screen illuminating the space between them as he checked it. And then he groaned. “Of course. No signal.”

“Well,” she huffed, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. “What do we do now?”

Connor leaned around her, searching in the backseat. “Here,” he said, turning back with a blanket in his hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever needed to use this. But thank god Lyla makes me keep it in here.”

When he smiled, Mia couldn’t help but smile back. She took it from his hand, her fingers brushing against his, and she shivered. “You’re freezing,” Mia frowned, shoving the blanket in his direction again. “You take it, you're the one who just went out there. You need to warm up.”

Of course, Connor shook his head, pushing the fleece material back at her. And Mia rolled her eyes, knowing better than to argue with him about something like this. It would only be a waste of breath. She laid the blanket in her lap, letting it cover the thin material of her leggings. It was still warm from where it’d been on the floor, and Mia basked in the warmth still lingering on it, knowing that if they’re stuck long enough, the blanket won’t do much to help them.

Since he had decided to be so stubborn, Mia grabbed both of Connor’s hands. Without a word, she cupped them between her own, bringing his palms to her lips. Then she began to slowly blow warm air inside just like her dad had always done for her after she’d spent too long playing outside in the snow.

She ignored any fear she had that Connor might pull away from her touch. He was pretty upset with her, after all. But he didn’t pull his hands away, or tell her to stop, or even ask what she was doing. He just stared down at her as she stared up at him.

And...it was a moment.

It was definitely one of those moments.

This time though, it was Connor who looked affected. More often than not, he flustered her. With all of his wide smiles and charm and shirtlessness. But as her lips touched his fingers, Mia could practically see his breath catch in his throat. And she was the one to pull away after a minute, gently dropping his hands.

“Um,” Connor swallowed. “I guess all we can do is wait for a car to come by or for the snow to stop.”

“Yeah,” Mia whispered, glancing through the window again, back at the road ahead. She had a feeling that it would be a while until that happened. “I have an idea,” Mia said, her heart beating a little faster. Connor raised an eyebrow in question, but rather than answering, Mia pushed herself up from her seat, starting to climb into the back seat.

“Come on, it’s warmer back here,” she pointed out. “You can keep an eye on the road that way,” Mia gestured north. “And I’ll watch this way,” she finished, waving her hand south. “If we see a car coming, we get out and flag them down.”

Realizing that it was their best and only plan, Connor shrugged before crawling into the back with her.

They sat on opposite sides of the cab at first, but as the minutes passed, and the warmth faded, they slowly inched closer to each other. When they eventually met in the middle, Mia gave him a shy smile, raising her eyebrows, and Connor laughed.

“All right,” he shook his head, “let’s not be idiots and freeze to death here.” Then he leaned back against the far door, adjusting one leg behind her, spread out across the seat. He opened his arms out, but the expression on his face was hesitant. “Come here,” Connor mumbled.

Mia _was _ getting cold; her body struggling not to shiver and her nose turning numb. And he looked _ warm_. Vowing that she simply did not want to be an idiot that froze to death, Mia turned, settling in between his legs, her back against his chest. She pulled her knees up to her chest, adjusting the blanket to cover both of them the best that she could.

He didn’t say anything, but once Mia stopped fidgeting, she could hear his heart beating below her ear. It sounded a little bit too fast.

Connor lifted his arms slowly, wrapping them around her and placing his hands on her knees under the blankets. All that was between his skin and hers was the paper-thin leggings, and Mia tried not to groan happily when Connor rubbed his palms over her legs.

She felt warmer than she had since the car died, his body heat radiating through her.

Mia’s eyes snapped open when she heard Connor suck in a sharp breath, his hands pausing as he made a tiny choking sound. And she knew that the satisfied moan had escaped her. Clearing his throat, Connor started moving his hands again, rubbing slow, comforting paths over her knees. “Good?” He asked softly.

Mia just nodded, the top of her head brushing against his chin.

Her mind felt wide awake, but after a few minutes, her eyelids grew heavy. She did her best to keep her eyes open and focused on the road, waiting and hoping to see another car come around the corner. The snow was starting to slow down, and it looked peaceful.

Quiet.

Relaxing.

“Hey,” Connor nudged her legs, and Mia jerked up, not realizing that she’d let her head fall back on his shoulder, her eyes starting to close. “Don’t fall asleep,” he warned her. Of course, they both knew better. They needed to keep each other awake and focused. Mia was just surprised that she’d been comfortable enough to nod off; between Connor cuddled around her and the freezing air biting at her nose.

“Do you remember that year our parents decided we should spend the holiday at your cabin in Bloomfield?” Connor asked, knowing she’d have a harder time passing out on him in the middle of a conversation.

Mia nodded, curling closer. Abandoning all sense of shame and shyness, Mia pulled his arms tighter around her, melting into the warmth that his body was giving her. “Yeah…” she answered slowly, jogging her memory.

“I had a girlfriend back at home that year,” Connor continued. “And your mom disabled the WiFi. I spent the whole time trying to get a signal so I could call that girl.”

“I remember,” Mia huffed.

She could hear the smile in Connor’s voice as he spoke, “I was finally able to call her from a spot in your backyard. And you came outside with your bow and arrows, this raging little firecracker, and you—”

“I remember,” Mia interrupted, squirming as she was reminded of a particularly mortifying moment in her younger years. She’d been praying that he forgot about it ever since, but of course he didn’t. Mia let out a breathy laugh, trying to untangle herself from him, but Connor held on tighter. His fingers dug into her thighs, keeping her between his legs, and Mia felt a shot of electricity, _ chemistry_, run through her body.

“What is this?” She asked. “Relive Mia’s most embarrassing hits before we die?”

“No,” he answered softly. “First of all, we’re not going to die. And I just...that was the first and last time I think I’ve ever seen you jealous.”

“I was _ not _ jealous,” Mia argued, feeling her cheeks turn red, heating her face. “I was thirteen, and I hadn’t seen you in months...but _ you _could barely take your eyes off of your phone all weekend. I was upset.” Mia sighed, watching her breath mix with the cold air in front of her. But her discomfort and his arms kept her warm. “It was stupid,” she finished in a whisper.

Connor hummed, a sound of disagreement. “It wasn’t stupid,” he answered seriously. “You were right to be upset. I was excited to see you, too. I always was. I just had an awful way of showing it.”

Mia felt her insides getting warm with his comment. “Yeah, well,” she let out another breath, "you were always too laid back to ever get upset or jealous. I'm sure my reaction seemed incredibly dramatic."

He laughed, pressing his cheek against her head. "You're wrong," Connor whispered. "I know jealousy...when Derek the Douche asked you to your senior prom...and the day I helped move you into your dorm and that guy from down the hall stopped to flirt with you..."

Mia's breath caught in her throat, surprise rushing through her. She remembered those moments, trying to picture the way Connor had looked, searching her memories for any clue that he'd felt that way. But either he was a great actor, or she'd been too good at convincing herself he would never see her like that. "You were jealous?"

"I've found myself wishing that I had your archery skills plenty of times, Mia...those guys would've been limping home."

She froze, and Connor paused in response, like they both needed a moment to recognize that something was happening between them. Something they couldn’t take back. And neither of them wanted to take it back. “I was jealous," he continued. "And I knew why. I just had an awful way of showing _ that_, too,” he breathed.

Finally, Mia leaned away from him, giving herself enough space so she could twist around and see his face. He stared back at her with nothing but clarity in his eyes. She didn’t see doubt. She didn’t see confusion or hesitation. All she saw was...certainty.

“Show me now,” Mia said, raising her chin, forcing herself to be brave and address this thing head on, whatever it was, once and for all. 

Even though her heart was racing so fast that she worried it might jump right out of her chest.

Connor kept his gaze on her, nodding slowly. Then he lifted one hand, carefully letting his fingers roam over her cheek. Mia’s eyes fluttered, tempted to close them and sway into his embrace, but she didn’t want to look away.

Before she could think too hard about it, before she could get scared and push him away, Connor pressed his forehead against Mia’s, grounding her. His nose gently brushed against hers. 

And then he was kissing her.

Mia surprised both of them when she instinctively grabbed his collar, pulling him closer. She turned completely, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Mia…” Connor groaned, his hands landing on her hips. There was a slight sense of warning in his voice...but when she expected him to stop this, he pulled her tighter against his chest instead, deepening the kiss.

It was hard to think about anything else, like all of her senses were floating away as Connor kissed her. But there was one word that ran through her brain as Mia felt his fingers tangle in her hair, his thumb stroking her cheek. _ Finally. _

And she wasn’t cold at all anymore.

Mia remained perfectly warm in the nice little cocoon they were creating in the backseat, exploring new territory together and discovering that they both liked it._ A lot._ It was a place that was full of hesitant touches, timid smiles, and a little bit of awkwardness, but they were both happy to stay there...until it was eventually broken when the door over Mia’s shoulder swung open.

They hadn’t seen the headlights coming down the road. They didn’t notice when a car pulled up behind them, or heard their parents’ voices as they came to their rescue.

But when Felicity yanked the door open, Mia yelped, jumping away from Connor’s heat on one side of her and flinching away from the frigid air on the other side of her. It was an ungraceful move that landed her on the floor in the middle of the backseat. 

Connor pulled Mia up in a rush, and her mother squeaked, “oh!”

“Are they there!?” Oliver’s voice came bellowing from behind Felicity. “Are they okay!?” 

Mia untangled herself from Connor again, falling against the seat as she hurried to tug the blanket around herself. A moment later, her dad crashed against Felicity, each of them losing their balance in the slippery snow. But Oliver quickly recovered, one hand anchored on Felicity’s waist and the other darted out to grab the door and stabilize them, keeping them on their feet. 

He looked in at Mia with wide, worried eyes. “Honey, are you all right?”

Mia opened her mouth to answer, but her mind was completely blank. Of course, she was okay. In fact, she was more than okay. Yet her mouth couldn’t seem to remember how to talk.

In contrast to her father’s ‘deer in the headlights' expression, her mother’s face broke out into a wide, knowing grin. “Well,” she patted Oliver’s arm where he had it wrapped around her waist. “I’d say they found a way to stay warm.”

Despite the fact that it was uncomfortable to watch realization dawn on her dad’s face, Mia didn’t care. Even though it was awkward to climb into the backseat of Felicity’s car and sit beside Connor for a long ride home, knowing they all had plenty to talk about and that eventually, someone would break the silence...Mia felt okay. Because once they were safe, warm, and back on the road, driving carefully towards Star City again, Connor reached over and took her hand.

And Mia knew that everything was going to turn out just fine.


	3. Snowman Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "You killed my snowman. This was murder."
> 
> When the Diggles and the Queens get together for Christmas at the cabin, there's never a dull moment. But Oliver and Felicity manage to find the best moments with the people they love most.

“Dinner went better than expected,” Oliver mumbled as he came up beside Felicity where she stood at the sink, rolling his sleeves up. She hummed, dropping her soapy hands into the water and looking up at him with a frown.

Oliver chuckled, his eyes softening as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear that had fallen out of her messy ponytail. Then he gently leaned into his wife, pressing his body against her. “Here, let me do these,” he took the plate from her hands, dunking it back into the warm water.

“You cooked. I’ll do them,” Felicity argued, reaching for the plate again. Oliver pulled it out of reach, raising an eyebrow at her. And Felicity narrowed her eyes back at him, “I can handle the dishes, Oliver. Go on, I’m sure you and John have plenty to catch up on.”

He gave her a shrug in response, continuing to wash the plate he’d taken from her. “Dig and Lyla went out for a walk with the kids,” Oliver answered as he started to load the dishwasher.

“Ah,” she nodded slowly, glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye. “And you didn’t want to go with them?”

Christmas Eve was always a hard day for her husband. It’d been eight years since he came back to her, to their family. Even though that night had been one of the happiest nights of Felicity’s life, it tended to bring back some negative feelings for Oliver. It reminded him that his daughter had lived five years without ever knowing him. How hard it had been for Mia to adjust to him again, practically a stranger who dropped back into their lives and began living in their home, all when she was too young to understand most of it. And Felicity knew that although Oliver was making wonderful strides towards putting those hard years behind them, Christmas Eve was usually a tough reminder of that time.

“No,” he answered her question quietly, not meeting her eyes. And she could already guess why. “I wanted to stay with you.”

“Well, that’s very sweet of you,” she bit her lip. “But do you really think John and Lyla can handle that army of crazy kids on their own?”

Oliver scoffed, finally looking down at her. He smirked. “I’m pretty sure they would both be offended and hurt to hear you doubting them.”

Felicity smiled back, raising her hands innocently, letting the water drip into the sink. “Hey,” she shrugged. “I’m just saying, they haven’t had to deal with Mia _ and _Lucas yet. No one can ever be prepared for those battles.”

His smile ticked up a notch as he remembered one squabble or another between their fiery thirteen year old and her little brother, who was in the midst of redefining the meaning of ‘terrible two’ these days. But the pride on Oliver’s face made it seem like he thought he was raising two perfect angels, and it was exactly the response Felicity was hoping for. He loved how lively and headstrong his kids were. And Felicity couldn’t bring herself to get annoyed with their stubbornness, knowing that between her and Oliver, they were destined to have those strong personalities.

With a sigh, he lowered the wine glass he was holding back into the sink. Then he reached over to Felicity and took the sippy cup she’d been washing from her hands, putting that down as well. “The Diggles have plenty of experience in that department. They’ll be just fine.” He grabbed a towel off the counter, turning Felicity towards him and gently drying her hands. “You know...it’s not very often that you and I get the house to ourselves.”

Felicity’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes bouncing to the kitchen counter, remembering the last time they’d had an afternoon alone. Granted, that had been back at their house in Star City, and it had been quite a while since the cabin had seen any action beyond their bedroom, considering they mostly used the place for family getaways. Although she wouldn’t mind reliving a few fond memories…

She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I don’t think we have time for...that.”

Oliver blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion before recognition colored his face along with an adorable blush. “No, honey, that’s not what I—not that I’m against the idea, but uh—” he huffed, cutting off his own babbling and taking her hand. Pulling her towards the couch in the next room, Oliver explained, “I thought we could use a moment to relax. Just you and me.”

Seeing what he meant, Felicity smiled as she looked in at the small living room. As far as traditions went, she’d grown to love having a tree in their house around the holidays since Oliver came back, especially when he and Mia decided that they’d go into the woods and cut one down themselves. It was decorated with eight years worth of homemade ornaments and it made the room smell like pine. 

The only light in the room came from the tree, standing tall and cozy in front of the window, and the menorah that sat on the fireplace mantle. On the coffee table, there was a bottle of wine with two glasses waiting, and Felicity forgot all about the dishes and everything else she’d been stressed about getting done before tomorrow. Apparently, Oliver was on the same page. He gently nudged her until she sat down, easily folding her under his arm, pulling her legs to stretch across his lap.

Without a word, Oliver leaned over and filled the glasses, handing one to her before leaning back with his own.

Felicity settled, resting her head on his chest as his hand smoothed up and down over her thigh. She let herself relax, clearing her mind and enjoying the moment with her husband while she stared up at the tree, admiring the endearing ornaments that Mia, William, and Lucas had collected and created over the years.

“Thank you,” Felicity whispered, realizing how much she’d needed this moment, now that Oliver had gotten her to slow down and appreciate it.

“Any time,” he breathed back, pressing his lips to the top of her head. 

They sat in a peaceful stillness, sipping at their wine and listening to the low hum of Christmas music floating in from the kitchen, quiet enough that Felicity knew if they had a house full of kids at the time, the music wouldn’t be heard. She was happy to let a few songs pass, finishing half of her drink, before she started to feel antsy again.

“Oliver,” Felicity said, picking her head up to see him. He tilted his head in her direction, humming in response, but his eyes remained closed. “I need to finish cleaning up the kitchen and prepping for breakfast. Mia and JJ want to have homemade doughnuts…” Felicity chewed on her lip. “And we should make up the bed in the guest room before John and Lyla get back.”

He still didn’t open his eyes, nestling his nose into her hair instead. “Shhh,” Oliver mumbled, his hand grazing lower from her hip, cupping her backside and pulling her closer. “Everything will be fine, Felicity. John and Lyla will have a bed, and the kids will eat doughnuts, and it’s going to be an amazing Christmas. Don’t worry.”

Felicity smiled at his sleepy voice, glancing down to see the expression that matched. “Oliver Queen the optimist,” she teased lovingly, “who would’ve thought? You don’t even sound _ a little bit _ afraid of a Christmas disaster. I’m impressed.”

His lips twitched with a grin, his eyes finally fluttering open to look down at her. “No...our children are happy,” he shrugged innocently, “how could they not be when they have you as their mom?”

Felicity sighed, sliding her fingers along his jaw and tipping his chin up. She leaned in, pressing her lips to Oliver’s like she’d done countless times before. And as her husband kissed her back, she found comfort in their familiarity and desire in the sparks that would always linger between them. 

From down the hall, they heard the front door swing open, and Felicity sighed, “back to reality.”

Oliver nodded, kissing her one more time before they’d need to get up. He rubbed his nose against hers just as they heard the door slam shut. He pulled back, looking at Felicity with a slight pout, confused by the angry sound of stomping feet coming down the hall.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Felicity called out, leaning over to set her wine glass down. She could already recognize the sound of Mia’s footsteps.

Their daughter didn’t stop as she stormed through the cabin, not even bothering to look at them while she made her way towards the stairs. “Well,” Felicity groaned, “I think you jinxed us with that ‘great mom, happy kids’ comment.”

Oliver gave her a look, his frown deepening. “The peace and quiet was nice while it lasted.”

She chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Would you like to talk to our moody teen or should I?”

Narrowing his eyes, Oliver considered the question, even though they both knew it was a total toss up. Mia would either talk or she wouldn’t, and they knew from experience that their daughter opening up to them had to be what she wanted, or else it simply wouldn’t happen. “You take Mia,” he answered, “I’ll check in with everyone else.”

Before either of them could move, Mia came stomping back down the stairs. They both looked up as she stormed back through, but she still didn’t glance their way. And this time, she had her bow in hand and her quiver on her back.

“Mia?” Oliver stood up from the couch. 

Felicity quickly did the same, both of them trailing after their daughter, who was grumbling something unintelligible to herself. “Mia!” Felicity called after her. “Where are you going?”

“What are you doing with your arrows?” Oliver asked, each of them following her to the backyard.

Felicity and Oliver stopped in the doorway, watching as Mia trudged through the snow on the back deck, stopping at the railing.

Out in the yard, John and Lyla were playing with Lucas, chasing and running from him as the little boy waddled through the knee-deep snow, his squeals of excitement piercing the air. William and JJ were laughing as they put together a lopsided snowman near the treeline, throwing more snow at each other than anything else. And to the right of Will, Connor was wandering aimlessly around in a circle, holding his cellphone up above his head as if he was searching for a signal.

Realization hit when Felicity noticed the way Mia’s eyes zeroed in on Connor. 

“Mia,” Oliver’s voice warned from behind her, letting her know that Oliver also knew what she was up to. “Don’t even think—” 

Mia was quicker than him, knocking an arrow before Oliver could finish his sentence. And then it was whizzing through the yard, making Felicity’s heart stop as she heard Oliver gasp, his hand clenching on her shoulder.

A moment later, Mia’s arrow landed in the head of William and JJ’s snowman, right between the eyes they’d lazily carved into the figure for a face.

Everyone froze as they realized what Mia had just done, shocked silence filled the yard. 

Felicity knew that even though their daughter was only thirteen, if there was anything they could rely on her to be responsible and mature about, it was her archery. It’d been the mending bridge between her and Oliver for years. The thing that helped them bond and grow closer, and their love and respect for it was something that they continued to share. But her skills didn’t matter in that moment. Felicity’s heart was in her stomach, imagining all the ways that Mia’s tempered shot could’ve gone awry. 

It was William who broke the silence. “Hey!” He lifted a mitten-hand at his sister. “You killed my snowman. This was murder.” 

Felicity shook her head, shaking off the disbelief that her daughter had actually thought that was a good idea. She glanced over her shoulder at Oliver, but he was still wide-eyed and staring at his daughter. “Mia Smoak-Queen!” Felicity put on her best mom-voice. “In the house. Now.”

Mia rolled her eyes, still too angry to see any kind of reason, and pushed by them to get back in the house. Felicity followed, hot on her daughter’s heels. And after another moment of stunned disbelief, Oliver waved to their guests, “uh, sorry about that. She just-it’s-” he sighed, giving up on an explanation. “We’ll be right back,” he finished quickly instead, moving back into the house and closing the door.

He followed his wife’s voice towards the kitchen, finding Mia sitting on a stool at the counter with her arms crossed and her head down. “What were you thinking?” Felicity demanded, and Oliver instinctively flinched, no stranger to her loud voice.

“Well, start talking,” Felicity told her as Oliver joined them, standing behind Felicity as the united front they’d grown to be whenever it came to raising their children. Felicity stood above Mia, the girl’s bow and arrows on the counter in front of them. “You’re grounded for two weeks,” Felicity said when Mia didn’t talk. Her voice was stern, but Mia remained silent. “We can make it three if you don’t feel like explaining yourself.”

“Come on, Mia,” Oliver tried, raising an eyebrow expectantly as his daughter looked up at him through her blonde curls. “I know I taught you better than this. What you did was reckless. Dangerous. Someone could’ve gotten hurt—”

“I wouldn’t have hurt anyone!” Mia finally broke, her voice anxious as she defended herself.

Oliver lifted a hand to calm her, fighting the instinct he had to go over and give his daughter a hug. 

Discipline first. Hugs second. Those were the rules of parenting. And he’d taken a long time to learn that one. “Not on purpose. But you’re only thirteen, Mia. Even the best archers can make mistakes... You understand why your mother and I are disappointed in you, right?”

At the question, Mia nodded, looking down as she played with her fingers in her lap. All of that anger from moments ago disappeared. Instead, Oliver noticed that his daughter was blinking back tears, and his eyes darted desperately to Felicity. 

They both knew he was completely at Mia’s mercy when she cried, which she may have used to her advantage a time or two. But this time, it was clear that she really was upset.

Felicity leveled him with a glare, wordlessly warning him not to lose his backbone on this one. “Mia,” she said, placing her hand over Oliver’s. “Why did you shoot an arrow at William’s snowman? And please..._ please _ tell me that it was what you were actually aiming for.”

“It was!” Mia bellowed. “And it wasn’t about William.” She let out a long breath before continuing. “Connor spent the entire walk looking at his phone. It was so annoying! Then we got back here and he wouldn’t help us with the snowman because he found service and could finally call his stupid girlfriend.”

Oliver blinked, “so you murdered your brother’s snowman because Connor wasn’t helping?” He looked to Felicity for help. “I’m so lost.”

“No,” Mia scoffed. “I didn’t care about the snowman.”

Oliver shook his head at Felicity, needing more of an explanation than that, but she understood perfectly. “Mia wasn’t upset about that,” she whispered to her husband, giving him a pointed look. 

Seeing that he still wasn’t getting it, Felicity rolled her eyes, attempting to subtly clue him in. “She was _ jealous _,” Felicity explained lowly, trying and failing to keep Mia from hearing.

“I was not jealous!” Their daughter whined. “Mom, Dad, look, I’m sorry, okay? I just got angry and I wasn’t thinking straight. It was stupid.”

Nodding in agreement, Felicity put her hands on her hips, straightening her shoulders. “You’re fracking right it was stupid. And you’re still grounded.”

Mia didn’t even bother to argue. She slumped in her chair, looking up at them with sad eyes. “It won’t happen again.”

“We know it won’t, honey,” Oliver automatically started to soothe her until Felicity turned to narrow her eyes at him. He cleared his throat. “You’re still grounded, though.”

“I know,” Mia sighed. “So...can I please just go to my room now?”

Connor was four years older than Mia, and Felicity wondered if he had put the pieces together yet. If he knew that Mia had a crush on him.

Well...if he hadn’t realized it yet, tonight might’ve done the trick. 

Sympathizing with the expression on Mia’s face; the embarrassed flush on her cheeks, she leaned over and took her daughter’s hand, squeezing gently. “Right after you finish the dishes,” she said with a wink.

Mia frowned, but stood up and made her way to the sink without complaint. While she turned the water on and rolled up her sleeves, Oliver leaned down to whisper in Felicity’s ear. “Nicely done.”

She rested her head against his chest, feeling his arms wind around her waist as she nestled into him. “Am I a bad mom if I want to go finish that wine instead of helping my kid finish the dishes?”

Oliver chuckled, shaking his head as his lips brushed against her ear again. “I already told you...you being a bad mom isn’t possible.” He kissed her temple, “I’ll get the wine.”

Before either of them could move, they heard the back door open again, and Mia froze.

The others came in from the cold, rowdy but exhausted as their voices carried down the hall. They came into the kitchen a moment later, William’s voice rising above the rest. “Mom! Do we have any hot chocolate? It sounds perfect right now…” he grinned when he came around the corner and saw Mia. “Hey snowman killer,” he greeted teasingly. 

Mia lifted her chin, holding her head high. “Sorry I shot your snowman, Will.”

“It’s okay,” he shrugged. “Now I have a _ hilarious _ story to tell about my little sister for years to come.”

Narrowing her eyes, Mia gave him a fake, sweet smile. “Keep it up and the next arrow is going in your leg.”

“Okay!” Felicity interrupted, shaking her head. “No more bickering. Save it until after our guests are gone. Or better yet, save it until Hanukkah ends. There’s a challenge. Sound good?”

Both of them nodded in agreement, even though they all knew they’d probably be teasing each other again within minutes, and William rubbed his hand over Mia’s head, messing up her hair but making her smile. 

And all was perfectly right in their world.

Diggle stepped around his sons, holding an extremely tired looking Lucas in his arms. “Lyla and I are feeling pretty wiped like this little man,” he said. “Long day.”

Felicity smiled, her heart warming at the sight of her best friend holding her precious baby so fondly. “I have some clean sheets in the closet. Let me just go down and get the guest room set up for you guys,”

“No, no,” Dig shook his head. “We can get it. Besides, Lucas convinced us all to come inside when he said he needed some snuggles from his momma.”

Picking his head up from Dig’s shoulder, Lucas turned to look at her, the sweetest smile breaking out on his face as his tired eyes met hers. He rocked back in John’s arms, reaching for Felicity, and she scooped him up happily. Lucas babbled as he got comfortable on her chest, nuzzling his face into her neck. “Okay,” she sighed, glancing up at the rest of her family. “I guess I’ll try to get him down for the night. Will, could you please show Dig where the sheets and extra blankets are? And make sure the boys have everything they need in their room, too?” Her son nodded dutifully. “And Oliver, Lucas’s sloth is in the dryer, can you bring it in for me?”

Smiling, Oliver nodded too. “Be right there.”

She patted his chest, waving goodnight to everyone. They all said their goodnights in return, and Felicity stopped so Lucas could give Mia and William hugs on his way out.

When she reached the two year old’s bedroom, she let him pick out a book, and by the time he was ready to crawl into bed with _ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas _ in hand, Oliver came in with Lucas’s favorite, freshly washed stuffed sloth. 

Oliver tucked Lucas in while Felicity curled up in the rocking chair beside his bed, opening the book and getting ready to read. They had this down to such a routine that none of them needed to say a word. Felicity started the book, Oliver sat on the edge of the bed gently rubbed his son’s back until he relaxed, and Lucas closed his eyes. 

It didn’t take long for Lucas to fall asleep, his tiny snores quick to follow. Felicity looked up from the book, grinning at her husband. “I’m not even on page four,” she mused, “I think that’s a new record.”

With a soft smile, Oliver bent down to kiss Lucas’s head. “He had an exciting day,” he whispered. “And he’s in for another one tomorrow.” Felicity looked down at her son, never tired of the feeling that filled her chest to see him sound asleep. 

“It was a good day,” she whispered back.

They quietly made their way out of Lucas’s room, leaving the door open just a crack to let the light in from the hallway, just in case he woke up.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get in bed,” Felicity groaned quietly, already moving towards their bedroom.

“Hey…” Oliver stopped her, taking her hand. “I’m going to check on Mia,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. Felicity nodded in understanding, and since there was no way she could guarantee she’d still be awake by the time he came to bed, she pushed up on her toes to give him a kiss. He smiled as her lips lingered, “I love you.”

“Love you,” she sighed back. 

As Oliver headed off to their daughter’s room, Felicity turned in the opposite direction, content despite the night’s almost-mishap. She was already working on getting her clothes off as she opened the bedroom door and flicked the light on, stripping off her layers and walking to their dresser in search of pajamas. 

She changed quickly, and was tying her hair up into a messy ponytail when she glanced out the window. Felicity did a double-take, sighing heavily when she looked down at the backyard. “Oh, Mia,” she shook her head, forgetting about how tired she was and ignoring the calls of her bed as she made her way downstairs.

As she reached the bottom step, Felicity found a confused-looking Oliver walking down the hall. “She wasn’t in her room,” he told her, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“I know,” Felicity answered, pointing towards the back door. Oliver followed her to the end of the hallway, looking through the window on the door while Felicity pulled on her coat and shoes. “I’ve got this one,” she told her husband.

Leaving Oliver inside, Felicity stepped out into the dropping temperature of the night, crossing her arms as she carefully walked down the porch steps and started moving across the snow covered yard to reach her daughter.

Rather than saying anything, Felicity plopped onto the ground beside Mia. She kept her eyes on the moon, looking up at the random sputtering of snowflakes fall from a mostly clear sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Mia turned her head to look at her, and she waited.

After another quiet moment, Mia asked, “do you remember when I was little, and we came out here and made snow angels all over the yard?”

“Of course,” Felicity tilted her chin to look back at her. “That was the night your dad came home.”

Mia’s eyebrows furrowed, as if the two memories didn’t quite fit together. And Felicity understood the feeling. She’d been a completely different person, like it was a separate lifetime, rather than all of it happening on the same night. “That’s right,” Mia remembered, her lips twitching with a smile. But it faded almost as quickly. “I still remember how magical it felt to be out here playing in the snow with you. Everything seemed so much simpler back then.”

Felicity scooted closer until she found Mia’s gloved-fingers. Then she squeezed her daughter’s hand. “The world hasn’t lost it’s magic, baby,” Felicity replied with a shrug. “You’re just growing up.”

To that, Mia’s smile returned, ever so slightly. “I guess you’re right. Lucas asked us earlier how it was possible for reindeer to fly. And Connor and I went on and on, rambling about a special flying school at the north pole and peppermint dust just to make sure he didn’t have any doubts.”

Laughing, Felicity leaned in to rest her head on Mia’s shoulder. “You’re a good big sister,” she said, each of them looking up at the sky again.

“I kind of made a fool out of myself today.”

Knowing that she couldn’t brush off Mia’s feelings by disagreeing, Felicity went with a different approach. Besides, she also knew that at the heart of the girl’s embarrassment, it was more about _ who _she’d acted out in front of rather than what she’d actually done. “You know, when I first met your dad, I knew I was falling in love with him almost instantly. He...took a little longer to realize what was happening between us.”

Mia sighed, “but you taught him how to open up his heart and he taught you how to trust, and you both couldn’t deny your feelings anymore and now you love each other more than ever,” she grumbled.

“Hm, it’s almost like you’ve heard the story before,” Felicity laughed, knowing how much Oliver liked to tell it. 

Despite herself, Mia laughed, too. “Only about a million times,” she answered, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Look,” Felicity shook her head. “My point, baby...is that your dad just wasn’t ready. Sometimes people need time to see what’s right in front of them. And it’s not our fault if we’re smarter and catch on quicker than them.”

“Not all stories have happily ever afters,” Mia answered, shrugging as if it didn’t matter, but Felicity knew better. “How are you supposed to know...” she shook her head, “not everyone ends up like you and dad.”

“No, they don’t,” Felicity frowned, seeing Mia’s point. “But some people do, so that’s no reason not to believe in it, right? Mia, I want _ all _ of your stories to have a happily ever after.”

Mia curled up against her side, just like she would when she was just a little girl. “I know,” she snuggled closer. “Thank you, mom.” Felicity warmed at the words, pressing a kiss to her cold forehead. They remained quiet for another few minutes, and Felicity noticed that her pajama pants weren’t quite winter material, but she didn’t dare move. 

Eventually, Mia shivered, pulling away so she could stand up. She brushed herself off before turning to offer her hands, helping Felicity up, too. “Do you think dad will make us hot chocolate?” Mia asked, her teeth chattering.

Felicity looked up at the windows of the house, catching sight of Oliver standing in the kitchen, doing exactly that. She smiled, “I think you can always count on him for that.”


	4. Forever Sounds Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Person A is hanging mistletoe all over the place in an attempt to kiss Person B.
> 
> It's been one year since Oliver walked back into his family's life, changing everything.  
While Felicity has a moment to reflect on all of the ups and downs that year has brought, Oliver has time to put some of their holiday decorations to strategic, good use. He thinks he's being cute... Felicity has different ideas.

The bed was too cold. After spending a year relearning how to sleep next to her personal furnace of a husband, Felicity noticed instantly. There was a time when she’d gotten used to burrowing beneath a pile of blankets to sleep alone. But those days were behind her.

Except for today, apparently. Today, she was freezing; December air that bit at every curve of her exposed skin. Felicity squinted one eye open, seeing that the bed was empty, just as she suspected. 

The house was too quiet. If Oliver wasn’t in bed with her, then it would usually only take a moment or two for her to hear him making noise in the kitchen, preparing breakfast with Mia’s help. But this morning, there was nothing.

Felicity threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, hopping across the cold hardwood on her bare feet until she reached her slippers on the other side of the room. Once her toes were warm and cozy, Felicity went back to the bed, turning the blankets over until she found Oliver’s gray Henley. She remembered ripping it off at some point during the night in a frustrated, half asleep, heated stupor.

She didn’t bother with pants, shuffling over to the door and making her way towards the kitchen. Felicity yawned, scratching her fingers through her hair as she took a deep breath, smelling coffee.

“Mm,” she hummed, heading straight towards the coffee pot as soon as she reached the kitchen. But she stopped when she noticed that the room was filled with boxes; the counter, stools, and floor looked as if Christmas had thrown up all over her house. “What...the frack?”

At the sound of her voice, Mia popped up from behind one of the boxes that was overflowing with tinsel. “Hi mommy!” The six year old squeaked. 

She had on a fuzzy, blue Hanukkah hat that happened to be Donna Smoak’s favorite. And that was way too big for her head. It covered half of her face, falling down over her eyes, and Mia tipped her head back so she could see out from under it.

“Hi...” Felicity answered, leaning down to adjust the hat. She smiled when Mia’s eyes were visible. “Oh, it’s you. I was wondering who was under there,” she teased. “Well, good morning, Mia. What’s all this about?”

Mia turned back to the box in front of her, pulling out a handful of the shiny tinsel. “Daddy said we could decorate the house before Will comes home.”

Felicity’s smile widened, reminded that her son would be with them for almost a month. Starting tonight. Twelve hours and seventeen minutes until his flight landed at Star City Airport. But who was counting? 

Grabbing the ball of fluff on the top of Mia’s hat, Felicity pulled it off, winking as she put it on her own head, adjusting it over her ears. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

“Okay,” they heard Oliver’s voice from behind them. “That’s the last box from the attic, and I don’t know—” he stopped when he saw Felicity and frowned. “Oh, you’re up. I was hoping we could get this done to surprise you before you woke up.”

Felicity shrugged, “I got cold.”

“Mm,” Oliver hummed, setting the box on the floor beside Mia. He leaned down to kiss Felicity. “I’m sorry.”

“S’okay,” Felicity mumbled against his lips, kissing him back with a smile, and then once more for good measure. “I didn’t know we had all of this stuff,” she gestured at the boxes.

Oliver shrugged, “some of it is from Smoak Tech parties. Queen Consolidated parties. Mayoral parties.” He grimaced, “we threw a lot of parties.”

Chuckling, Felicity nudged her way under his arm, hugging his middle tightly as she answered, “which is why I’m so excited to have three weeks off without stressing over guest lists or fancy new dresses to shop for. Just you, me, and the kids.”

The smile he gave her was genuine. Warm. And it melted right through her. “None of that stuff to worry about. Besides holiday decorations, right? Because Mia and I are pretty excited to see what this new house looks like all decked out.” 

“Yes,” Felicity answered, raising an eyebrow. “But that’s the only thing. Once we have Will home, I’m wearing nothing but pajamas for the next week. At least.”

He pulled her closer, running his hand up and down her spine, clenching his fingers in the material of his Henley that she was wearing. “Fine by me,” Oliver mumbled, his eyes dropping to where the shirt hung off her shoulder. “I like your pajamas.”

“Daddy!” Mia interrupted, getting their attention as she stood in front of the fireplace with Felicity’s menorah in both hands. She lifted it up towards the mantle, pushing onto her toes. “Can’t reach.”

Oliver hurried over to help before she fell or dropped it, scooping her up in his arms. Mia giggled as she set the menorah on the mantle, positioning it in the center just like they used to do at the cabin.

With a deep breath that felt like peace, Felicity watched them, contentment filling her chest. This was  _ home _ . And it still felt perfect every time that thought crossed her mind.

It was one of those moments that she wished she could freeze and file away somewhere in her brain to keep safe forever. Especially when Mia turned in Oliver’s arms, looking back at Felicity with a proud smile on her face as she clapped her hands, and Oliver leaned in to press a kiss against her blonde curls.

They were quickly approaching the one year mark since Oliver returned. But Mia had spent the first five years of her life learning that she needed to be careful. She’d been raised purposely and necessarily to know that strangers were dangerous, that she couldn’t trust people. That in many ways, the world really was against her just because of who her father was. The last thing Felicity had wanted was for Mia to be unprepared. Naïve to that reality, and for it to end up getting her hurt.

With Oliver’s presence, some of Felicity’s fears subsided. He could look out for their daughter in ways that Felicity simply couldn’t. She didn’t need to hunt down Nyssa al Ghul and beg for her help anymore. Mia was safe, because Oliver would protect her just as fiercely as she did.

Those anxieties had calmed rather quickly. But things were not always perfect. Having her dad there one day, who had not been there the day before, or any other day before, was understandably difficult for Mia to adjust to.

Luckily though, a year later, the hardest days were behind them. Mia had hopefully seen the worst of her confusing, grueling struggle with accepting Oliver into her life. She listened to him now without argument. She understood that he was her father, and that he loved her. But most importantly...Mia knew that she could trust him to stay. 

When all was said and done, they’d realized that that was all it truly boiled down to. Mia had needed to know that this man, this  _ stranger _ , who walked into her life and promised to be there for her, wouldn’t walk away. And with some time, Oliver had earned his daughter’s trust.

It didn’t happen in a single day. But that was what made this moment, watching them together as if they’d always known one another, feel so much sweeter. Seeing the way Mia nuzzled into her daddy’s arms like it was where she felt safe.

Oliver looked up at Felicity, the smile on his lips faltering. He could read her so perfectly, every expression on her face. And he bent down to put Mia on her feet, mumbling, “honey, go give momma a hug,” as he did. Mia nodded, rushing towards Felicity with her arms outstretched.

“Oh, I love you,” Felicity sighed, scooping Mia up, hugging her tightly. Then she looked back at Oliver. “And I love you.”

Oliver smiled, putting his hands behind his back, slowly stepping closer. “I love you too,” he answered as he reached her. Biting his lip, he brought one of his arms out, lifting it above them. 

Her eyes slid up to see what she already expected to be hanging above her head. “Mistletoe?” Felicity hummed, raising an eyebrow at her husband. 

The sprig of green was wrapped in red and gold ribbon, and Oliver shook it as he leaned closer. Felicity couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach even if she wanted to. Sometimes, they took over, making her heart feel lighter. Every once in a while, like when her husband was grinning at her with his boyish charm while his eyes softened, knowing that her lips were about to touch his...it made her feel the same way she did the very first time he’d kissed her.

As Oliver leaned in, he took his time, like he was feeling the same anticipation she was feeling, and he wanted to make it last.

“Momma,” Mia interrupted them suddenly. She stared up at the mistletoe, wrapping one arm around Felicity’s neck. “That means you’re ‘spose to kiss him. Hurry up!”

Felicity laughed, tickling her daughter’s side. “I’m getting there!”

Oliver shook his head, smiling as he kissed her. It was tender, almost chaste, and he was on the verge of deepening it when Mia’s hands landed on each of their cheeks. “Yay!” She exclaimed, “my turn!” And the next thing they knew, she was pulling them both closer, covering Felicity’s cheek in wet kisses and then Oliver’s, sending herself into hysterical giggles the whole time.

“Well,” Felicity huffed, glancing at Oliver as she wiped her face, making Mia laugh even harder, “I guess she’s not going to be so willing to kiss us when she’s older...maybe we should take advantage of it now…”

Picking up on her tone of voice, Oliver’s lips twitched to keep from smiling. “You’re right,” he answered, “we should probably take them while we can…”

They moved in sync, each of them leaning in to kiss Mia’s cheeks, and their daughter squealed. She squirmed to get down, and at the same time, pulled them closer.

The rest of the day was equally entertaining. They cleaned the house while they decorated, with plenty of breaks sprinkled in once Mia decided to turn the radio on and insisted that they dance with her.

After a while, the girl got tired, abandoning Felicity in the middle of the living room floor as she raced off to get some water. “Hey!” Felicity called after her, raising her hands out to the side. Her breath was heavy, exhausted herself after spinning her daughter around the room.

Oliver stepped in a moment later, offering his arms.

With a satisfied hum, Felicity melted into them, nuzzling her face in his neck. Oliver swayed with her for a while, his thumbs caressing the small of her back. And Felicity narrowed her eyes playfully as she looked up at him. “I know you have more moves than this, Queen,” she challenged. He’d always said that he didn’t dance, and it wasn’t until their ‘honeymoon’ at the cabin that she learned he  _ could _ .

In response, Oliver stepped back, guiding Felicity away from him and turning her in a circle under his arm before pulling her back against his chest in one graceful move. She beamed up at him, “I’m still upset with you for not telling me sooner what a good dancer you are.”

He pressed his lips against her temple, falling back into their easy sway. He slowly walked his fingers down her spine, causing a shiver to chase after them. “I thought I’ve made up for that by now,” Oliver mumbled, his lips just outside her ear.

To prove his point, he dipped her down, securing a hand on her waist, and Felicity closed her eyes, letting her head tip back. She waited for him to draw her back, and when he didn’t, she opened her eyes again. With her head tilted back, she had an upside down view of Mia, who was standing on the couch above her. “Hi, mommy,” she greeted.

Felicity cocked her head to the side, feeling the blood rushing to her face. “Hi, Mia.”

Her daughter giggled, holding out the mistletoe from earlier and waving it in front of Felicity’s face. “Got you!” 

She heard Oliver laugh, felt his hand tightening on her hip, and then he bent down to kiss her cheek. Before she could react, Oliver pulled her back up, still chuckling to himself as he brushed his thumbs over her pink cheeks. “She got you,” he teased.

“See what you started?” Felicity smoothed her hands over his collar. “Now she thinks it’s a game.”

Oliver arched his eyebrow, “doesn’t sound like a game I’d be against playing.”

Nudging him away, she rolled her eyes. “Of course you wouldn’t.”

And he didn’t. 

An hour later, Felicity got caught under the mistletoe again as she walked into the dining room, finding that Oliver had strung it up in the archway. He gave her that charming grin again as he joined her beneath it, doing nothing but dropping a kiss against her forehead as he passed. 

And then when she and Mia had come back inside after hanging a wreath on the front door and wrapping the mailbox in garland, Oliver had left the mistletoe hanging in the doorway above them. He leaned against the kitchen counter, pointing it out while they took off their coats and shoes, and Mia screamed as she ran and launched herself into his arms, squishing his cheeks together as she kissed him. 

Mia turned back to look at Felicity and rolled her eyes, mumbling, “daddy must really want kisses today,” as if he couldn’t hear her.

The third time it happened, Oliver and Mia were busy making William’s favorite cookies. The peanut butter ones with the Hershey’s kiss in the middle. And Oliver was being careful to clean up the ingredients as they went, knowing that Felicity had a tendency to ‘forget’ her allergy, and dip her finger into the cookie dough. 

“Honey,” he glanced over his shoulder at Felicity , “can you grab the chocolate out of the cabinet?”

Felicity nodded as she watched them; Mia standing on her stool with her little apron, totally focused on mixing the batter with a wooden spoon, and Oliver leaning over her head as he held the bowl steady for her.

“Mm-hm,” she answered, hopping down from her seat on the countertop. 

When Felicity opened the cabinet door, the mistletoe was taped to the edge of the shelf, right at her height. And she sighed, pretending to be put out by it as she pulled the sprig out.

Oliver stayed where he was, keeping Mia safely between his arms as she worked the cookie dough. “Got you,” he whispered, leaning towards Felicity and offering his cheek. She could tell that he was trying very hard not to laugh, finding far too much enjoyment out of tricking her, even if the game was adorable. 

So, she closed the distance, grabbing his chin and angling his face towards her, and she kissed him. Not in the innocent way he’d kissed her that morning. With their daughter’s back to them, focused on the cookies, Felicity nipped at Oliver’s bottom lip, pulling it between her teeth before quickly soothing it with her tongue.

Her husband sucked in a sharp, surprised breath, following after her instinctively when she began to pull back.

“Daddy, is this good?” Mia asked loudly, making him stop. And Felicity smirked up at him, at his flushed cheeks and wide, aroused eyes. She licked her lips.

He growled under his breath, his eyes dropping to her mouth. And then Oliver shook his head,  _ compartmentalizing _ ...and focused back on the mixing bowl in front of him. “Yeah,” he answered Mia. “Yeah, that looks perfect, sweetheart.”

Felicity held the mistletoe out in front of her, catching his attention again. 

Oliver narrowed his eyes, reaching for it, but she snatched it back before he could take it. “I think I’ll hold on to this,” she told him, stepping back and turning to leave the room without another word.

For the rest of the day, Felicity watched in amusement as Oliver subtly searched for the mistletoe. Or rather, he  _ thought  _ he was being subtle. Every time he walked into a room, his eyes darted up to the doorway, waiting for her to ‘get’ him back with it. And every time he did, she’d innocently run her hand down his back or cup his face between her hands, but she wouldn’t kiss him, acting as if she didn’t notice.

Later that night, Roy arrived to babysit so that she and Oliver could go to the airport to pick up William. And Felicity decided on a quick shower before they had to leave. While Mia dragged Roy around the house, showing him all of their festive additions, Oliver followed Felicity into their bedroom, saying that he wanted to change his clothes. But it was barely a minute after she’d turned the shower on and stepped in that she heard the bathroom door open and saw Oliver through the foggy glass. 

He walked over to the closet, puttering around briefly until he eventually moved to the sink and started brushing his teeth. She could feel his eyes on her as she turned under the water, rinsing her hair and trying not to pay him any attention.

“So,” he eventually spoke, dropping his toothbrush back in its place. “What time do we have to be at the airport again?”

Felicity grinned, knowing that he knew the answer already because he’d been the one to remind her just yesterday. “Six,” she called back, getting an idea. 

With her wet hair cascading over one shoulder and water dripping from her face, Felicity pushed the shower door open and looked at him. And she paused, meeting his wide eyes. “Could you pass me a razor?” She gestured to the closet.

Oliver swallowed, keeping his eyes on her face and nodding in response. And then he went to the closet and found a fresh one, his eyes finally dropping to her body as he handed it over.

She smiled sweetly, “thanks.”

Before Felicity closed the door again, she looked at Oliver, watching as he opened his mouth and then shut it. She cocked her head to the side curiously, feigning innocence. “You okay? You look like you have something to say, honey.”

He huffed, folding his arms over his chest and giving her an impartial shrug. “No, no...just don’t want to be late to pick up Will.”

“We have time,” she assured him. “And anyway, I’m almost done.”

Oliver’s eyes raked down her body again and back up, “right.”

It still amazed her. How many times had he seen her naked? How many times had he showered with her? And yet he looked at her like the idea of it was still new and exciting.

Granted, they’d only been together again for a year, and apart for the five before it. But Felicity felt sure that even twenty years from now, he’d still be looking at her like this. 

If they didn’t have an airport to get to…

“You know,” Felicity stared back at him, the same emotion in her own eyes that she could see all over her husband’s face, “if you want to kiss me, Oliver...you don’t need a mistletoe above our heads to do it.”

At her words, he raised his chin, his lips curving in a crooked smile. “But wouldn’t that take the fun out of this little game we’re playing?”

Felicity bit her lip, her hand clenching on the door handle as she resisted the urge to march over to him and kiss the cocky expression off his face. Instead, she shrugged, “if you say so.” Not allowing him the chance to respond, Felicity closed the shower door, finishing up so they wouldn’t be late, just as he’d suggested.

And she kept the mistletoe in the pocket of her sweatshirt while she got ready, purposefully keeping her eyes off of him as she gathered her purse and said goodbye to Mia and Roy.

Oliver led her out of the house with his hand on her lower back, opening the car door without a word. And as she settled into her seat, Felicity watched him round the car, waiting until his head was turned. Then she quickly looped the mistletoe to the rear-view mirror.

By the time Oliver climbed into the car, she was buckling her seat belt, keeping her expression neutral. Of course, he noticed the mistletoe on the mirror right away, humming his approval, “Finally.” Oliver leaned in, his breath blowing out with the cold air between them. “Does this mean you plan on kissing me for the entire ride to the airport?”

Felicity laughed, lifting her hands to cup his face and pull him in for a kiss. “I plan on kissing you for a lot longer than that,” she mumbled back against his lips, and his eyes fluttered shut. “Probably forever.” 

She dipped her lips lower, kissing his neck, across his jaw, and back to the tip of his nose. When she was done, Felicity leaned back in her seat, taking his hand between hers and bringing it to her mouth to kiss his fingers, too.

Oliver released a shaky breath, his eyes still closed. “Forever sounds good.”

* * *

_ Five years later _

She was doubting her plan. Maybe it was too cheesy. Maybe he wouldn’t even remember that day right away. Maybe it would be awkward and she’d just end up looking silly. It’s not like she was  _ trying  _ to be funny...

The last thing she wanted was for her husband to remember this night, this moment, as something to laugh about. 

All of Felicity’s fears vanished when Oliver stepped into their bedroom.

Releasing a steady breath, she dropped her hands into her lap, staring up at him as he stopped in the doorway, his jaw literally dropping.

He hurried into the room, closing the door with a quiet thud and locking it behind him. When he looked back at her, Oliver finally managed to shut his mouth, but his eyebrows were high, his eyes wide. “You...I…” His eyes skimmed down her body, pausing on the red bra and panties covering her. “Felicity,” he huffed. “Wow.”

She felt a blush, starting in her cheeks and working its way down to her chest. “Are the kids in bed?”

Sometimes it was easy to forget that her husband was one of the most lethal people she’d ever met. When he put on his “Best Cooking Dad” apron to make brownies, or when he sang along to Disney songs with Mia during long car rides. It was easy to forget.

Most days, Felicity didn’t think about the hood, and she no longer had to worry whether or not the man beneath it would make it home to her.

But every now and then, she was reminded. Usually it was when the team called for help or when he helped Mia with her archery. 

Felicity wasn’t expecting to be reminded of Oliver’s dangerous side while she was half naked in their bed. And yet, the longer he stared at her, savoring every inch of her, his eyes darkening, it made her shiver. A sharp thrill running down her spine.

She began to squirm, her question left unanswered, and Oliver crossed the room on slow, silent feet, stalking towards her. 

He reached the end of the bed and paused, his eyes traveling from her bare feet all the way up to her eyes, not bothering with any pretenses of subtlety for even a moment. With his eyes on her, Oliver reached out and touched her foot, gently massaging the sole with his thumb. He slowly made his way up to her ankle, pulling her leg to one side and bending her knee. 

Felicity held her breath as she looked up at his face, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, studying her body as if this was the first time he explored it. But there was patience in his caress, confidence coursing off of him in every breath she watched him take that said otherwise. That said he knew her, every response he could elicit, like the back of his hand.

He turned his hand over, running the backs of his fingers from her ankle up to her knee. “They’re asleep.”

“Uh—what?”

At the ragged sound of her voice, Oliver glanced up to see her face, his eyes darkening even more. “The kids,” he whispered. “Mia’s been out for hours and Will just fell asleep downstairs on the couch.”

Felicity nodded, calming down a bit with the reminder that she shared children with this man. Not that it made him any less sexy. Just a little less intimidating. Until she remembered that it wasn’t even  _ him  _ she was nervous about, but something else entirely.

Before she could utter a response, Oliver shifted onto the bed, kneeling between her legs and dropping his hands to the mattress on either side of her waist. Felicity looked up at him, reacting instinctively as she slid her hands up to his shoulders and into his hair. His eyes were still thick with desire, but his lips tilted with that tiny smile that he saved just for her.

“Hmm,” he hummed, dipping his head so he could press his lips against her shoulder. Then he began to kiss a path across her chest, paying extra attention to the tops of her breasts. “There’s still a week left until Hanukkah,” he mumbled against her collarbone. 

“True,” she breathed back.

His mouth trailed leisurely up to her neck, leaving her skin hot and flushed in its wake. “It isn’t Christmas yet,” he continued, “and it’s definitely not my birthday…”

“Mm-mm,” Felicity bit her lip, reaching above her head to grab the mistletoe from their headboard that Oliver hadn’t even noticed. It was wrapped in the same red and gold ribbon he’d used five years ago. With one special addition. He leaned back as Felicity wiggled beneath him, cocking his head to the side while she held up the mistletoe in front of her face. “Remember this?”

“Of course,” Oliver chuckled, settling between her legs, lowering some of his weight on top of her. “One of my favorite games…” He raised an eyebrow, grinning as he asked, “are you suggesting we play again?”

“Yes,” she mumbled back, “but I’m changing the rules.”

Oliver’s eyes sparked with interest, glancing between her and the mistletoe. “In what way?”

“You kiss me…” Felicity answered slowly, “wherever I decide.” To show him what she meant, she lowered the mistletoe, dragging it down her body, stopping at her chest.

With a low groan, Oliver’s mouth followed the path she’d made, his teeth nipping at her skin where she’d left the mistletoe. He took his time as he pressed a gentle, open mouthed kiss to the spot. And then he moved lower, his face dipping between her breasts. 

“Ah, ah, ah,” Felicity stopped him, her voice breathy. Grabbing his chin, she pulled his face up, meeting his eyes and leveling him with a look. “You’re already breaking the only rule.”

Oliver clenched his jaw, his eyes darkening again as desire took over. And Felicity smiled, enjoying the way he visibly restrained himself, at her mercy. She brought the mistletoe back to her face, holding it over her cheek and looking down at him expectantly. 

He huffed, his expression amused as he made his way back up her body to give her a chaste kiss against her cheek. 

And then he broke the rules again.

A different kind of passion was behind his lips as he pressed sweet kisses across her cheekbone. Felicity’s eyes fluttered shut, and the kisses continued along the bridge of her nose and over her eyelids. “You’re not playing by the only rule,” he teased in a whisper.

Drawing back, Felicity looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat when she remembered the secret that hung between them. He braced his elbows on either side of her head, his fingers tangling with her hair. And he smiled down at her, unaware of the butterflies stirring in her stomach.

“Right,” she whispered back, hoping her voice didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. Taking a deep breath, not quite ready to find the words she needed, Felicity held the mistletoe above her face.

With a grin, Oliver leaned in to kiss her lips, and all Felicity could think about was how he would react when he found out.

She knew that he wouldn’t be upset. In fact, she knew with full confidence that he’d be ecstatic. But it was still going to change everything.

Her head was somewhere else, wrapped up with her nerves. And Oliver could feel it. “What’s wrong?” He asked, his lips still on hers.

Felicity shook her head, clearing it as she focused on him again, kissing him back. He lingered, his mouth warm against hers, the most natural feeling in the world. 

After a moment, Oliver sighed, tilting his head back. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she answered, steeling herself. “Nothing is wrong.”

Except that the last time she and Oliver had a baby, she’d been forced to raise her all by herself. Nothing was wrong besides the fact that she couldn’t remember how happy she was when she was pregnant with Mia, without also remembering how heartbreaking it felt to have all that happiness taken away.

“Felicity…”

She swallowed, her eyes darting up to his.

This time would be different.

This time would be everything that they’d only gotten a taste of when Mia was born. It would be sleepless nights, and diaper changes, and experiencing all of their child’s firsts.  _ Together. _

It would be all of those things that Oliver had lost. Everything that had been undeservedly taken from  _ him. _ Felicity knew that more than anything, Oliver longed for those years he’d missed with William  _ and  _ with Mia. It wasn’t fair. And even though they couldn’t get that time back, she also knew that her husband wanted the chance again.

A new chance.

Sucking in a deep breath, Felicity released it slowly. She nudged Oliver, and he moved back on the bed, shifting his weight to give her room. 

Without taking her eyes off him, she brought the mistletoe down and over chest, her fingers shaking when she stopped and placed the sprig on her stomach.

Oliver sat perfectly still, his mouth open in question as his eyebrows pushed together. Felicity watched the wheels turning in his mind, and she held her breath.

Curiously, he reached down and touched the ribbon wrapped around the mistletoe, turning it over when he noticed the words stitched into the red silk that he hadn’t noticed before. And then his eyes snapped up to hers, his features smoothing with disbelief. “Baby Queen 2030?”

Felicity blinked back tears instantly, hearing the excitement in his voice. But he was cautious, waiting for her to say it. She bit her lip, nodding as she tried to keep the emotions bubbling up in her throat at bay.

“We’re having a baby?” Oliver whispered.

Felicity couldn’t help herself. She nodded again, shifting closer to him as she laughed, “yes!”

His face broke out into the most gorgeous smile. The biggest, most blissful smile. He pushed the mistletoe out of the way, kissing her stomach as he whispered, “a baby,” against her skin, shock still in his voice.

“Well, our other two are getting kind of old,” she joked, running her fingers through his hair. “I suppose it’s time for a new one. Can eleven year olds change diapers...or would that be cruel? Because I just want you to know now, I wouldn’t be opposed to handing him over to Mia for that job.”

“Him?” Oliver asked, moving up until his body was pressed warmly on top of her.

She shrugged, looking up at him. “I have a feeling we’re going to be naming this one Lucas.” Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, gently rubbing against the flat surface. But Felicity didn’t notice she was doing it until she saw Oliver watching. 

She barely had a moment to appreciate the look on his face before he was suddenly kissing her. 

And it was all the assurance, preparation, and excitement from him that she needed.  _ They were having a baby. _ And Felicity was more than ready for the challenge. The adventure. Especially with Oliver by her side.


	5. A Winter Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Making a Bet
> 
> Felicity has a talent for recognizing when her kids are falling in love. Yet...Oliver doubts her. Or maybe he just isn't ready to accept that William and Mia are growing up.   
The Smoak-Queen holidays come full circle at William's wedding.

Her son was pacing the floor in front of the massive window, his hands on his hips as he mumbled to himself. Felicity sat quietly on the couch, her eyes tracking him back and forth across the room. He was panicking. Mildly. But she waited to see if he would pull himself back from the spiral, or if he’d need her help.

“Is this stupid?” William asked abruptly, throwing his hands up, finally turning to look at her. “It is,” he answered himself before she could. “This is a stupid idea.”

“William,” Felicity stood up, smoothing her dress down as she shook her head at him. “It’s okay to be nervous, but this is  _ not  _ stupid.” She smiled warmly, lifting her hand up to cup his cheek. “ _ This _ is everything that you deserve.” 

Her sweet, passionate son.

He let out a deep breath, although it was a little shaky. “What if I’m not...what he deserves? What if he deserves better than me?” William hesitated, his fears settling in his expression, and Felicity straightened her back, prepared to argue with him on his wedding day if she had to. William sighed, his voice quieter when he asked, “what if this doesn’t  _ work _ ?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering how someone so brilliant could ever doubt himself. And then Felicity realized that Oliver had said the same thing about her once or twice before. Whenever  _ she  _ used to doubt herself and her worth, and he’d stare at her like she was speaking a foreign language. 

“Honey,” Felicity took Will’s face between her hands, making sure that she had his attention. “Matt is a good man, and what he deserves is to be loved and appreciated for everything that he is.”

William nodded along with her words, some tension leaving his shoulders. “He always said that he dreamed about having a winter wedding,” he whispered back.

“And I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who can make Matt’s dreams come true better than you can.” William looked away with a huff of disbelief, and Felicity gripped his chin in her fingers, raising her eyebrows at him. “I truly believe that, okay? And I know you do, too. Matt obviously does, or else he wouldn’t have said yes to marrying you in the first place. Just trust in the love that the two of you have together.”

Chuckling, William closed his eyes and leaned his face into her palm. “Were you afraid? The day you married dad?”

“Oh...yes,” Felicity hummed. “My biggest fear in life was losing him. Once we got back together and he proposed again, I was so afraid that our marriage would somehow be doomed...I said  _ no _ .”

William cocked his head to the side, his lips curling up in a smile. “You did? I don’t think you’ve ever told me that.”

Felicity shrugged, “well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted  _ everything  _ with him.” A nostalgic smile crossed her face, remembering their simple, unexpected, yet long overdue vows. “And even though we had to say goodbye, and despite everything that happened between then and right now...I would go back and marry him one thousand times over.”

William nodded, giving her a skeptical look. “Is this the cheesy ‘it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’ speech?”

She shrugged coyly, keeping her expression neutral. “It’s too late for that speech...you’re in too deep,” Felicity whispered. “You already love him.”

“I do,” William laughed.

Felicity pinched his cheek, grinning as she said, “see, you’ve got it. Now get down there and say  _ that _ !”

He took another moment to collect himself, seeming much calmer already as he let Felicity fuss over his bowtie and hair.

It reminded her of the night William had left the cabin on what she later learned was his first date with a boy. How nervous he’d been. And how much he had opened up to them since then, how much he had grown. And now she got to watch him walk down the aisle to the man of his dreams.

Tears sprung in her eyes as she looked up at her son. “I am so,  _ so  _ proud of you.”

William rolled his eyes at her sappiness, but she could see the way he softened. She could feel how much it meant to him when he quickly pulled her in for a hug and whispered “thanks, mom,” in her ear.

Felicity did her best to keep her composure as Will offered his arm, leading her out into the hallway and down the giant staircase. 

It was once a place that Felicity had felt unwelcome and uncomfortable. And honestly, ‘Queen Manor’ had given her the creeps. After Oliver’s family lost it, it had passed through various owners until it eventually burned down. And then it sat for years, too expensive to sell and too much work to rebuild, until William surprised them all when he bought it.

The mansion had taken nearly three years, frustrating amounts of effort and bumps in the road, and more money to restore it than William had been expecting...but he had fallen in love with the foreman overseeing the renovations. 

Their hard work had paid off, and it only seemed right that William and Matt’s wedding happened in the place that they’d created together.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the rest of the wedding party was waiting for them, and Felicity watched as Will’s eyes landed on Matt. His soon-to-be-husband hung back while the rest of the party arranged themselves in order just as they’d rehearsed the night before.

Felicity smiled at Matt as she let go of William’s arm, pushing onto her toes to give him a hug. Then she turned back to her son and kissed his cheek. And then they heard the music begin to play, and Felicity quickly made her way to her spot at the front of the line, hearing Matt’s mumbled excitement as he wrapped his arms around William. 

Reaching the doors, Felicity looked up at Oliver who stood ready beside her, winking at him, and she turned around to look behind her, checking on Mia. Her daughter smoothed out her dress, fixing her hair. Connor stood at her side, holding Mia’s bouquet of flowers and waiting for her to finish. “Honey,” Felicity whispered, “you look beautiful. Quit fidgeting.”

Mia nodded once in response, straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath. And Felicity reached back to squeeze her hand. “Yeah,” Connor leaned towards Mia, handing her back the bouquet and offering his arm, “you do look great. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t trip down the aisle.”

Felicity kicked her leg back, nudging him in the shin while Mia’s face dropped and she turned to look at him with wide eyes. “Oh god,” she groaned, “I wasn’t worried about  _ that  _ until now!”

Connor winced, rubbing her hand as he offered a halfhearted, “sorry, sorry,” in her ear.

Rolling her eyes, Felicity glanced back up at Oliver again, pausing when she noticed the grin pulling at her husband’s lips, the soft look in his eyes. And she realized that they hadn’t actually seen each other since they left the house that morning, each of them too busy with preparing and helping with their son’s wedding. 

Oliver’s smile said everything.

How happy he was to be standing there, waiting for the doors to open so they could walk down the aisle, to have this part in William’s wedding day together. It was everything that Oliver had ever wanted for his son, and Felicity blinked back more tears as she watched the pure pride written all over his face.

She had a feeling she’d be holding back plenty of tears today.

As the doors were pulled open, they were greeted by a chilly breeze. Oliver held out his hand for her as the guests started to turn in their seats, looking back at them. Felicity slipped her fingers through his, holding on tight. “You ready for this?” Oliver asked lowly as they began to walk. She laughed, nothing but joy in her heart on such an important day. She’d expected to feel some type of sadness. Some kind of heartache that her oldest baby would be choosing his family and a life for himself as soon as he said ‘I do.’ But Felicity only wanted the best for William. And she was confident that today marked the start of her son’s happily ever after. 

Felicity squeezed Oliver’s hand, scrunching her nose up at him, knowing that she had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face. He smiled in return, reading her mind. The rapid snaps of the photographer’s camera reminded her where they were, and Felicity turned her eyes to the crowd; the small group of Matt and William’s friends and family that were there to support them.

They took their seats in the first row, and Felicity looked out at the backyard of her son’s new home, admiring the archway set against a landscape of white trees, fresh snow pulling down their branches. Oliver wrapped his arm around her shoulders just as she noticed a single, lazy snowflake landing on her arm. Tilting her head up, Felicity watched as more of them slowly fell from the sky.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mia coming down the aisle, and Felicity turned to watch proudly as her daughter walked with Connor towards the front of the yard. Mia held her head high, not letting it show how nervous she’d been only moments before. When they reached the archway, Connor and Mia took their places on one side of it, Connor angling himself behind Mia as they both positioned themselves to face the middle of the aisle. 

Felicity knew that it was Matt’s best friends’ turn to walk down the aisle together and take their place at the front to stand beside him, but Felicity let her eyes linger on Mia a moment longer, still amazed whenever she saw how much her daughter had grown, yet recognizing how easy it was to still see her as a little girl.

As if she could feel her mother’s gaze, Mia glanced over at Felicity, smiling and lifting one finger off of her bouquet to wave. And Felicity took a deep breath, wiggling her fingers back.

She looked away from Mia long enough to see Andrea and Naveed, Matt’s best friends from childhood, walk down the aisle. 

Connor leaned in to whisper something in Mia’s ear, and the smile it got out of Mia was genuine and bright. Felicity noticed. The photographer noticed. And when Felicity peeked up at her husband, she noticed that he was still watching Mia, too. “They’re going to end up together, you know,” Felicity couldn’t help but whisper to Oliver.

His face was a careful mask of composure, although Felicity had said similar things about Mia and Connor to him before and gotten plenty of groans and grumbles in reaction. This time, Oliver just blinked down at her. “Andrea and Naveed?” He asked innocently, cocking his head to the side.

Felicity gave him a look, “our daughter and John’s son,” she whispered back. 

They both knew that Connor was a wonderful man. And that he treated Mia with nothing but respect and kindness. Felicity knew that even if Oliver wouldn’t admit it, he secretly loved that his daughter was dating his best friend’s son. But he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that William was all grown up and getting married, he was far from ready to think about  _ Mia  _ having a husband.

Oliver frowned at her words, and Felicity snuggled closer, feeling a little bit bad for teasing him.

The music continued to play, but despite last night’s rehearsal, William and Matt missed their cue. 

Glancing over his shoulder, Oliver narrowed his eyes at the door, as if he knew exactly what was holding up the wedding. Considering it was William and Matt’s first moment alone since the guests arrived, and their last moment as single men, Felicity wasn’t surprised at all by the delay. 

She covered Oliver’s thigh with her hand, curling under his warmth while she observed the wedding party again; all four of them were fidgeting the longer they stood there with no sign of the grooms, snow landing in their hair. Connor whispered something else in Mia’s ear, making her roll her eyes playfully and toss her elbow back to nudge him.

From beside her, Oliver sighed. “You never know,” he grumbled, “she could still decide that boys have cooties and she needs to live with us forever.”

Felicity turned her face into his chest, hiding her laughter. She could still remember that exact conversation with Mia when she was six, how their daughter had insisted that she stay with them forever because ‘daddy was the best at scaring away the cootie boys.’

Rubbing her thumb over Oliver’s leg, Felicity picked her head up. “You’re still her hero,” she whispered, staring up at her husband, watching his eyes soften as he watched Mia. “Even if she’s growing up.”

Mia turned to look at Oliver, feeling her father’s eyes on her. And then as if to contradict Felicity’s words, Mia stuck her tongue out at them, giggling when Oliver shook his head at her.

His lips twitched with a smile, “as long as it’s not too fast,” he mumbled back.

Felicity sighed, her nails grazing over his thigh in silent comfort. “All I’m saying,” she lifted her shoulder, “is don’t be surprised if we find ourselves sitting just like this, watching those two…”

Oliver closed his eyes, giving his head a small shake. “Don’t.”

She chuckled, cuddling against his side. “You want to make a bet?” Felicity asked quietly.

He looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. “Against you? Never again.”

Felicity’s smile widened, “you’re no fun.”

* * *

_ The house looked amazing. _

_ William was almost done giving them a tour, not caring that the mansion was nothing more than foundation and structure. He took them through each room, or rather, what he planned to be each room, excitedly telling them where he envisioned everything would go. _

_ The sun was setting over the backyard, and her usually-stoic husband was even more quiet than usual. Felicity knew that it was just strange for him, seeing and hearing all the new ideas for the place where he grew up.  _

_ And when William brought them into the yard behind the house, Oliver’s eyes instantly flickered to the untouched headstones that signified the death of him and his father. _

_ Of course, William was still enlivened, talking a mile a minute as he walked through his plans for the backyard. “And over here, I’ll add an outdoor fireplace and patio that I think would be a huge hit if I ever need to host a dinner for work and I want to impress an investor, you know? And at the same time, I think Mia would love to come over with her friends and hang out back here. It’s perfect, right? Dad—” William finally looked at his father, following his line of sight, and then he winced. “I asked Matt to remove those,” he grumbled, frowning as his head whipped around. _

_ “Ah! Excuse me!” William waved his arm over his head, trying to get the man’s attention, hurrying through the foundation of the house. The contractor continued on his way, reaching the front of the property and loading his tools into the back of his truck without giving them a glance. “When will you be removing these horrible headstones?” Will called after him. “I told you that my father isn’t actually dead so it’s just creepy to have them sitting out there, right?” _

_ As the contractor ignored him, William put his hands on his hips, striding down the driveway. “Sir! This place doesn’t have walls yet, I can  _ see you  _ pretending not to hear me!” _

_ Shaking her head, Felicity turned her attention back to Oliver. She reached her hand out to him, drawing him closer until she could wrap her hands around his arm. “You okay?” She whispered, pressing her lips against his shoulder. _

_ Oliver shrugged, his eyes flashing over to the headstones again before glancing down at her. “I’m fine,” he answered. “It just feels weird to be here. Better than seeing it abandoned or rubble and ash...but weird. It’s mine...but it’s not...” _

_ Felicity tilted her chin, bringing his attention to William. Their son looked like he was talking animatedly  _ at  _ the contractor, and the man was smirking as he listened, leaning against his truck, unbothered. “It’s his now,” she answered quietly. _

_ “I know,” Oliver sighed. “I just hope William can create better memories here than I had.” _

_ “I think he’s going to do just fine,” Felicity watched as their son went back and forth with Matt. “I have a feeling he’s going to be really happy in this place.” While William babbled on, the foreman stared at him with an amused expression on his face. _

_ Of course, Felicity couldn’t fault him for pushing Will’s buttons. Her son was kind of adorable when he got riled up. Always had been. And judging by the look on Matt’s face, he agreed. Felicity didn’t blame the contractor if he was completely enamored by William’s personality, his energy...and it appeared that the poor guy was already charmed. _

_ The Queen men had a real talent for that. _

Smitten  _ was the only word Felicity could think of to describe it. _

_ From beside her, Oliver cleared his throat, his eyes trained on William and Matt. “Are you saying—I mean—you think the two of them…?” _

_ Felicity chuckled, hugging both of her arms around her husband’s waist. “What? That doesn’t remind you of the way we used to bicker?” Oliver scrunched his nose, glancing down at her in disbelief. “I know it’s been a while, honey. But trust me, I know chemistry when I see it.” _

_ Oliver scoffed at her confidence, and Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. “They barely know each other and they’re already fighting. I don’t think so.” _

_ Felicity just rolled her eyes at him. “You have clearly forgotten what things were like after we first met.” _

_ “That was different,” her husband argued. “I just didn’t think that I deserved you.” _

_ She looked up at him, gently pinching his side. “But you came to your senses. And we figured it out. Just like I think William and Matt will. I’d bet that those two will be a couple by the end of the year.” Felicity finished with a nod. _

_ Looking down at her, Oliver smirked. “Oh yeah? And what are you willing to bet?” _

_ “Hmm,” Felicity cocked her head to the side, considering the question. “Well, we’ve been talking about taking a trip this year...” Oliver raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “If I’m right, I pick the place. If you’re right, which you’re not, you pick.” She shrugged. _

_ Oliver nodded, offering his hand to shake on it, and Felicity took it. “You’ve been talking about Aruba ever since our first time there,” he said with a grin. _

_ “So?” Felicity frowned. _

_ “So I know that’s where you’ll pick. And you know that I’ve been dying to teach you how to ski.” Oliver kept her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips. “So, the way I see it, I either get to take you to the Alps, or I get to see you on a beach in Aruba. It sounds like I win this bet no matter what.” _

_ She narrowed her eyes, “fine. But when William and Matt get married, I get to tell you that I told you so.” _

* * *

Before Oliver could argue further, or maybe before he could finally give up and admit that Felicity was as right about Mia and Connor as she’d been about William and Matt, the grooms finally made their way outside. 

Everyone turned to see them coming down the aisle hand in hand, wide smiles and pink cheeks on their faces that spread throughout the rows of snow-covered guests. Felicity couldn’t hold her tears back anymore as she watched William stand in front of everyone that mattered to him, and marry the man he loved. 

When the time came for him to say “I do,” William said the words comfortably and confidently and without hesitation. A laugh bubbled in Felicity’s throat as she looked at Matt, seeing the way he smiled at William with appreciation, and slight mischief, in his expression. It was the same smile Felicity had noticed in the beginning. 

And she had no doubt that Matt would always look at him the same way.

As William leaned in to kiss his new husband, Felicity leaned in to whisper in Oliver’s ear, keeping her promise. “I told you so.”


End file.
